Borgonovo Valtidone: History, Trails and Local Cuisine
Accommodation in Borgonovo Valtidone
Borgonovo Valtidone combines historic buildings, peaceful trails and a strong local tradition. Between churches, castles and the landscape of the Val Tidone, it offers a destination that is suitable both for culture-focused days and for walks, regional specialities and an excursion along the Sentiero del Tidone.
File:Borgonovo Val Tidone - Rocca di Borgonovo Val Tidone.jpg
Photo: Montepiana via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Historic Trails and Churches in the Town
The tree-lined Viale di Borgonovo follows the course of the former town wall and borders the historic centre. It offers a pleasant transition between the present-day town and its historic structure, making it suitable for a quiet walk. The Chiesa di San Bernardino already existed in the 15th century.
The Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta in Borgonovo preserves an important example of sacred art: a polyptych by Bongiovanni and Giovanni Bassiano de Lupis dating from 1474 is located there. The building and the artwork provide different historical points of reference in the town centre, without requiring you to separate several areas of interest.
Castles with Their Own Distinctive Character
Today’s Castello di Borgonovo is built entirely of brick. When viewing the complex, the fortress must be clearly distinguished from the Recetto. The two names therefore do not refer to the same part of the building, but to different components of the historic complex.
The Castello di Corano is part of the surrounding area. It is believed to date from 1453 and has an irregular trapezoidal floor plan. Some rooms were decorated by Luigi Arrigoni (1896–1964); the artist had his studio there from the beginning of his career. In the Piacenza area, the Castello di Corano is also a notable example of a monolithic building.
The Castello di Castelnovo stands in the hamlet of the same name, a short distance from Borgonovo. Its initial construction dates back to the 11th century; extensive rebuilding took place around 1350, followed by restorations in 1936. The castle is surrounded by a park and an outer access avenue measuring more than 1 km in length.
On the Trail, at the Festival and at the Table
The Sentiero del Tidone consists mostly of a firm dirt or gravel surface. At some points, there are fords across the stream. Pedestrians and cyclists can bypass them via short, signposted alternatives. This makes it possible to include the trail in your personal daily plans without treating the different sections of the route in the same way.
A distinctive seasonal event is the Fiera dell’Angelo: it takes place on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday and includes livestock and agricultural machinery exhibitions, market stalls and an amusement park. Chisöla is part of the local culinary tradition: a traditional peasant focaccia with pork cracklings, typical of the Val Tidone and associated with the De.C.O. register of the municipality of Borgonovo Valtidone.
Getting There and Choosing Where to Stay
From the A1/A21 connection, the road journey to Borgonovo takes the Castel San Giovanni exit and then continues along the SP 412 towards Borgonovo. When choosing a hotel in Borgonovo Valtidone, you can tailor your plans to your own priorities: churches and castles, a walk along the Viale di Borgonovo, the Sentiero del Tidone, or the Fiera dell’Angelo and regional specialities. The surrounding area also offers the different historic complexes of Corano and Castelnovo for a deeper exploration of the region.
Further destinations:Alseno, Cadeo, Bicchignano, Gropparello, Ponte Dell'olio, Quartazzola, Oneto, Larzano-castello
For the higher-level travel overview: Piacenza.
