Highlights
Don't miss
Climb the central keep, the tallest tower of the castle: from the top your gaze sweeps from the Apennines to the plain.
Visit the dungeons and the armouries with original armour, the Landi Hall of Honour and the small Wildlife Museum housed in the inner rooms.
Admire the spur of red jasper on which the fortress stands: it is one of the most spectacular geological outcrops in the northern Apennines.
Medieval origins and the Landi family
The first record of the Castle of Bardi dates back to the 9th century.
In 898 Count Everardo ceded it to the Bishop of Piacenza, and in 1257 the fortress passed into the hands of the powerful Landi family, who made it the heart of a domain destined to last five centuries.
Under the Landi, Bardi became the capital of a small semi-independent principality recognised by the emperor: it included the Ceno Valley, part of the Taro Valley and minted its own coinage, a sign of full sovereignty.
The architecture of the fortress
The imposing appearance of the Castle of Bardi is the result of stratifications spanning the 10th to 15th centuries.
The plan follows the irregular outline of the spur of red jasper on which it stands: this remarkably defensive choice makes the natural rock practically coincide with the foundations of the castle.
The castle today and its legends
After decades of neglect and serious damage caused by the 1834 earthquake and the World War, the Castle of Bardi was restored in the 1970s on the initiative of the Municipality of Bardi, its current owner.
Today it is open to the public year-round, hosting a Museum of Wildlife and Poaching, a small archaeological museum, halls for weddings, medieval events and themed dinners.
The fortress is an active part of the Castles of the Duchy circuit and offers guided tours, family-friendly itineraries and theatrical visits in costume.
History and architecture of the Castle of Bardi
The Castle of Bardi is one of the most spectacular fortresses in northern Italy, built on a dramatic spur of red jasper at over 600 metres in the heart of the Parma Apennines. Its imposing appearance is the result of stratifications spanning from the 10th to the 15th century, with five inner courtyards, a double ring wall, a central keep and an entire small village within the defensive walls. The fortress was for centuries the capital of the Landi principality and then a Doria fief. Today it is owned by the municipality of Bardi and welcomes visitors all year round, hosting a small Museum of Wildlife and Poaching, an archaeological museum and theatrical events linked to the famous legend of Moroello, the captain whose ghost is said to still roam its walls.
Related experiences
Medieval origins and the Landi
The first record of the Castle of Bardi dates from the 9th century. In 898 Count Everardo ceded it to the bishop of Piacenza, and in 1257 the fortress passed into the hands of the powerful Landi family, who made it the cornerstone of a domain destined to last five centuries. Under the Landi, Bardi became the capital of a small semi-independent principality recognised by the Emperor: it included the Ceno valley, part of the Taro valley, and minted its own coin, a sign of full sovereignty. The castle was transformed from a military fortress into a true seigneurial residence, with reception halls, chapel, library and ovens for the garrison's bread. In 1682, after the death without heirs of the last Landi, the fief was sold to the Doria of Genoa, who held it until the Napoleonic suppression of 1805. It later entered the Habsburg-Lorraine patrimony and in 1862 the Italian State.
The architecture of the fortress
The imposing appearance of the Castle of Bardi is the result of stratifications running from the 10th to the 15th century. The plan follows the irregular shape of the red jasper spur on which it stands: this extraordinarily defensive choice makes the natural rock virtually coincide with the foundations of the castle. There are five inner courtyards linked by stairways, a double ring wall with sentinel walks, the central keep (the highest tower), the prisons, the armouries with original armour, the kitchens with great chimneys, the chapel and the small village within the defensive ring. The structure is virtually unaltered since the sixteenth century. Particularly evocative are the Hall of Honour, the Landi's reception room, and the panoramic terrace from which the eye sweeps over the Apennines as far as the Po valley.
The castle today and its legends
After decades of abandonment and serious damage caused by the earthquake of 1834 and the world war, the Castle of Bardi was restored in the 1970s on the initiative of the municipality of Bardi, its current owner. Today it is open to the public all year round, hosting a Museum of Wildlife and Poaching, a small archaeological museum, halls for weddings, medieval events and themed dinners. The fortress is an active part of the Castles of the Duchy circuit and offers guided tours, family routes and theatrical visits in costume. There are many legends linked to the castle: the best known is that of Moroello, captain of the garrison, who threw himself from the tower after discovering the death of his beloved Soleste. Moroello's ghost is said to still wander between the walls on full-moon nights, earning the castle the nickname fortress of lovers.