We resume our tour leaving behind the Varone hermitage; among the hills we crossed the pass of Sant’Antonio (2099 ft above sea level) admiring on the left the rugged rock of the Pietra Nera (see).
We arrived at Contignaco to visit two medieval jewels: the fortress of Aldighieri and the church of St. John the Baptist.

After the visits we went to Salsomaggiore Terme.

We hope that we have succeeded in arousing your curiosity.
And finally don’t forget that this is a country full of flavors and you will easily find a good restaurant.

A bit of history:
the castle of the Aldighieri
The castle dates back to 11th century and the tower was probably built in 1030.
After many battles the branch of Parma of the noble family of the Aldighieri conquered the castle essential for the control of the salt pans and the related market.
The Aldighieri held the castle until 1537 when it passed to the Sforza Pallavicino.
After a period of abandonment the castle was restored and now, partially used for agricultural undertakings, is a property of the families Vicini and Romanini.
The structure of the castle remains that of a military fortress and has not been transformed in a stately home as many other castles.

The church of St John the Baptist
Built in Romanesque style in 12th century.
In 1196 a bull of the Pope Celestine III confirmed its independence from the nearby church of San Vittore.
In late 1700 it was transformed in Baroque style.
In 1954 the restoration works began in order to give back to the world its original beauty. During the works some medieval and Renaissance frescoes were discovered.

A few note:
On the surrounding hills there are the vineyards of the present owners of the castle, producers of excellent wines which can be tasted during the visit if the fortress. We mention some of them: Bianco del Conte, Durante, Rosso del Sasso, Rosso del Rio dei Predoni.

And, pay attention, we showed only a minimal part of all you could discover in this country.

For more info:
Grand Tour 1^ft part
la Pietra Nera (Black Stone)
www.castellidelducato.it: castello di contignaco
www.castellodicontignaco.it
wikipedia: Castello di Contignaco
wikipedia: Pieve di San Giovanni Battista