Emilia Romagna suggested itineraries

The road which, from Modena leads to Parma, via Reggio Emilia, offers travellers any number of pleasant surprises. A route which unites culture, history, art and gastronomy. We commence our journey at Maranello, 18kms south of Modena, town which has achieved cult status among motorcar enthusiasts. We start our tour of Maranello at the Ferrari Gallery, inaugurated in 1990, where to admire the various trophies and cups won by the Ferrari team over the years and the automobiles which have made motor racing history. Ferrari fans and tourists alike can often be spotted peering through the gates of the factory created by the great Enzo Ferrari.

Maranello is also home to Renzo Piano's impressive Wind Tunnel, designed for the aerodynamic development of Formula 1 one-seaters. The Wind Tunnel is part of Ferrari's innovative "Formula Uomo" project - designed to provide highly functional buildings and the best possible working conditions. Not far from here, at Fiorano Modenese, visitors can experience the thrill of driving on the private test track created by Enzo Ferrari in 1971.

This part of Emilia Romagna, at the feet of the Apennines, is also known for its production of a superb DOP balsamic vinegar, obtained according to ancient recipes and procedures (at Spilamberto, a few kilometers beyond Maranello, tourists can visit the traditional vinegar distilleries and a museum dedicated to the highly prised condiment.)

Travelling northbound, we soon come to Modena, where to stroll beneath the beautiful arcades of Canal Chiaro and past the boutiques, world-famous restaurants and artists' studios which line the fashionable Via Emilia. Much of the city's social life gravitates around the Piazza Grande, square which, in 1997, was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This is where to find the Palazzo Comunale and Palazzo dell'Arcivescovado, maximum expression of the Romanesque architecture of the Po valley.

A surprising number of artists were born in Reggio Emilia, situated halfway between Modena and Parma. The list of the town's illustrious citizens includes the painter Correggio (1489 - 1534) and the poet and dramatist, Ludovico Ariosto (1474 -1533). Today Reggio nell'Emilia is an important cultural center, home to the Romolo Valli theatre, one of the largest playhouses in Italy on the stage of which Luciano Pavarotti made his debut.

On our way to Parma, we make a brief detour to Canossa, the land of Matilda, Great Countess of Tuscany, and the "castelli". The Castles of Canossa and Rossena were both erected around about the year 1000. It was here, in the Castle of Canossa, that the historic confrontation between Emperor Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII took place in 1077.

In Italy, and throughout the world, Parma is synonymous with good, quality food. Site of the head quarters of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma lies at the center of an important agro-alimentary network renowned for its high quality dairy products. Producer of the world famous Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (parmesan), but also excellent cold meats such as Prosciutto di Parma, culatello, salame, spalla, and langhirano: specialities which find their ideal accompaniment in one of the region's sparkling Lambrusco wines.

Ancient capital of the Dukedom of Parma and Piacenza, Parma conserves numerous traces of its glorious past. Among these we find the 16th century Palazzo della Pilotta, an impressive complex of edifices built during the last years of the reign of Duke Ottavio Farnese, and which now houses the National Gallery and invaluable artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, Parmigianino and Antonio Canova.