The Art path is a relaxing walk of contemplation and beauty, among art, history and food. The itinerary develops in the hilly area between Torrechiara and Langhirano.
The itinerary is about 7 km long and it is accessible walking or by bike (in Torrechiara e-bike rental is available).
The Art path is so called because along the route there are some works of strong intellectual and poetic value which interpret the lights and atmospheres of the environment.
So, the project wants to enhance the territory of Langhirano through a double historical-landscape axis, that is along the San Michele Canal and the wineries of ancient Torcularia.
The contemporary artists are Oscar Accorsi, Mirta Carroli, Danilo Cassano, Graziano Pompili, Giovanni Sala, Candida Ferrari, Lorella Salvagni, Alberto Vettori and Alberto Timossi.
The first stop is Torrechiara, a little village surrounded by hills and wineries and famous for its beautiful Castle, including also the pretty Renaissance Abbey of Santa Maria della Neve, where the Art path starts.
Pier Maria Rossi built the Abbey of Santa Maria of the Snow in 1471 near the Parma Stream and today it is a splendid religious and artistic place, not well-known, with a little church with Baroque frescoes, the Renaissance cloister and a 17th century belvedere.
So, we begin our discovery of works of art.
Moving to the nearby village, you are at the foot of the hill where the famous Castle of Torrechiara stands; it was built between 1448 and 1460 by Pier Maria Rossi.
The castle is famous for the beautiful Camera d'oro attributed to Benedetto Bembo, which depicts a tale of courtly love and chivalry, recounting the story of Pier Maria Rossi’s passion for Bianca Pellegrini.
At the foot of the Renaissance fortress the Art path starts and at the second kilometer, the works by Danilo Cassano “Sinottica di primavera” and Mirta Carroli “Seguendo il volo dei rotori” can be found.
At the third kilometer, crossing and going along the Canal, you arrive at the work by Graziano Pompili “Il Borgo” and Giovanni Sala's “Presenze” and, later, the works by Candida Ferrari “Nido d’aurora”, Alberto Vettori “Natura sembiante” and Alberto Timossi “Altro bosco”.
In the last two kilometers, after the works by Lorella Salvagni “Cèntina”, Oscar Accorsi “Voronoi” and Danilo Cassano “Genesi”, walking along among fields, vineyards and green vegetation, you get to the gates of Langhirano.
Here it is possible to visit, by reservation, one of the ham factories and the Ham Museum, which is part of Musei del Cibo (Food Museums).
In the museum you can learn about the production process of the precious local salami, through photos, historical documents, tools, machinery and videos.
Infact, this is the heart of the production area of the delicious Prosciutto di Parma: here, since the beginning of the twentieth century, there have been many ham factories, arranged perpendicular to the stream in order to exploit better the air necessary for the curing of the hams, through the typical tall and narrow windows.
And what could be better than to finish the itinerary with a delicious Parma Ham tasting in the place where it was born?
Enjoy your meal!
