Fontanellato

Description

Fontanellato, whose meaning “fontana lata” or large fountain refers to the village’s position, between the rivers Taro and Stirone on the bassa parmense plain, 5km from the via Emilia, became wealthy with the Sanvitale family from the late 1300s, as can be evinced from its magnificent castle.
Fontanellato today offers a taste of the slow, quiet life of the Po Valley, its art cities and cuisine. In 2004, it was recognised as a slow city, on the basis of indicators including urban quality of life, infrastructures, hospitality, support of typical products and its food and wine traditions.
The setting is typical of the plain, with vast swathes of farmed land and springs, fed with underground water, flowing beneath a light layer of clay rich soil at notable depths. These springs come to surface as clear water that creates special climatic conditions and feeds canals, including the moat surrounding Rocca Sanvitale.
Located in the centre of the main square, the rocca is the symbol of Fontanellato. The imposing fortress was built in the 14^th century on a pre-existing 12^th century building. Over the centuries it has undergone numerous restoration interventions and was transformed from defensive fortress to a residence by the Sanvitale counts who lived in it for about six centuries. It houses furnished rooms, from the splendid room of Diana and Atteone, frescoed by Parmigianino, to the camera obscura.
Other places of note include the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, built in 1514, which is a year-round pilgrim destination; the Oratory of Our Lady of the Assumption with its wooden sacristy created in 1720 by Giulio Seletti and decorations by Sebastiano Galeotti; the municipal theatre, designed personally by Alessandro Sanvitale and demolished in 1832, now has a 19^th century structure based on a design presented in 1858 by architect Pier Luigi Montacchini; the former Sanvitale stables; Villa Gandini; and the botanical gardens.