Highlights
Highlights
Step into the Camera Picta frescoed by Parmigianino: the sinuous figures of Diana and the nymphs seem to float on the gilded vault in a Mannerist whirlwind that takes your breath away.
Climb up to the Camera Ottica and watch the piazza projected onto the walls: it is pure magic, a medieval cinema that still works today.
Then lose yourself in the Labyrinth of Masone among 200,000 bamboos: 3 km of green pathways where time stands still.
From the Pallavicino to the Sanvitale: a thousand years of history
The Rocca of Fontanellato was built in 1124 by the Pallavicino marquises as a defensive tower. The central keep, still today the gateway to the castle, dates back to this period.
In 1386 the lands of Fontanellato together with the Rocca were ceded to the Sanvitale, a powerful Parma family. In 1404 the fief became a county and the Rocca was transformed from a military fortress into an elegant noble residence.
The Sanvitale lived there until 1948, when the last count Giovanni sold it to the Municipality of Fontanellato.
Parmigianino and the Camera Picta
In 1523-1524 the countess Paola Gonzaga, wife of Galeazzo Sanvitale, commissioned the young Parmigianino (just twenty years old!) to decorate a small private room.
The artist created a masterpiece: the vault was frescoed with the myth of Diana and Actaeon drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which the goddess, surprised at her bath, transforms the young man into a stag.
The elongated and sinuous figures, the iridescent colours and the bold perspective make this Camera Picta one of the peaks of Italian Mannerism.
The Camera Ottica and the Labyrinth of Masone
In the south tower of the castle is the only working Camera Ottica in Italy: a darkened room where an ingenious system of mirrors and lenses projects on the walls a real-time image of the piazza outside.
Installed at the end of the 19th century by the last count Sanvitale, it allowed the watcher to observe who was approaching the castle without being seen.
Five kilometres from the village, the Labyrinth of Masone (2015) created by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci is the largest bamboo labyrinth in the world, with 7 hectares, 200,000 plants and 3 km of pathways.
A medieval moated castle with a Parmigianino masterpiece
Fontanellato is an enchanting medieval village of the Bassa Parmense dominated by the magnificent Rocca Sanvitale (1124), one of the few Italian castles still completely surrounded by a water-filled moat. Inside it preserves a priceless treasure: the Saletta of Diana and Actaeon frescoed by Parmigianino in 1523-1524, an absolute masterpiece of Italian Mannerism. The castle houses the noble apartments of the Sanvitale counts perfectly preserved with original furniture from the 15th to the 18th centuries, the Camera Ottica (the only working one in Italy) which projects the square outside in real time thanks to an ingenious system of mirrors, and the great Banner of the Blessed Virgin (1654-56), 5 metres long. Legend tells that the fortress is haunted by the ghost of little Maria Sanvitale, who died aged 5 in the 19th century. Just 5 minutes from the village stands the Labirinto della Masone, the largest bamboo labyrinth in the world (7 hectares) created by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci with his private art collection. Fontanellato is a stop on the Strada del Culatello di Zibello and on the third Sunday of every month hosts an antiques and collectibles market.
Related experiences
From the Pallavicino to the Sanvitale
The Fortress of Fontanellato was built in 1124 by the Pallavicino marquises as a defensive tower. The central keep, still today the gate to the castle, dates from this period. In 1386 the lands of Fontanellato together with the fortress passed to the Sanvitale, a powerful Parma family. In 1404 the fief became a county and the fortress was transformed from a military stronghold into an elegant noble residence. The Sanvitale lived here until 1948, when the last count Giovanni sold it to the municipality of Fontanellato. The castle still preserves its medieval square plan with four corner towers and the moat fed by spring water.
Parmigianino and the Camera Picta
In 1523-1524 Countess Paola Gonzaga, wife of Galeazzo Sanvitale, commissioned the young Parmigianino (just twenty years old) to decorate a small private room. The artist created a masterpiece: the vault was frescoed with the myth of Diana and Actaeon drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses, in which the goddess, surprised at her bath, transforms the young man into a stag. The elongated, sinuous figures, the changing colours and the daring perspective make this Camera Picta one of the peaks of Italian Mannerism. The room was Paola Gonzaga's place of private meditation. Today it can be admired 'in solitude' by booking, sitting inside without guides or other visitors: a unique and moving experience.
The Camera Ottica and the Labirinto della Masone
In the south tower of the castle is the only working Camera Ottica in Italy: a darkened room where an ingenious system of mirrors and lenses projects onto the walls the real-time image of the square outside. Installed at the end of the 19th century by the last Sanvitale count, it allowed those inside to watch arrivals at the castle without being seen. 5 km from the village, the Labirinto della Masone (2015) by the publisher Franco Maria Ricci is the largest bamboo labyrinth in the world, with 7 hectares, 200,000 plants and 3 km of paths. At its centre it houses an art collection with works by Ligabue and Fontanesi and a library of 50,000 volumes. Fontanellato is also a stop on the Strada del Culatello, the king of Italian cured meats.