The tour focuses on food and wine, allowing the tasting of the typical products of the area: cured meats, DOC wines and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. It starts from the spa town, (recommended free car parking in Avenue of Labor) to climb up to Tabiano - at the top of the hill or with a small detour you can admire the Castle and the small Medieval Village.

Continue in the direction of Fidenza; leaving Tabiano, downhill, you will meet, in the location of Cabriolo, the Romanic Pieve dedicated to St. Thomas Becket, located along the Via Francigena, the route of pilgrims that from Western Europe led the travelers to Rome. Then proceed to Noceto; crossing Borghetto the road remains crossed until the end of the journey. In Varano Marchesi you will have passed half the route. Climb the hills towards Case Mezzadri, the highest point of this excursion, then follow to San Vittore and Contignaco where you can admire the ancient Romanic Pieve of St. John and the Castle of Contignaco, Fortress of the Aldighieri home to a local winery.

Characteristic of the territory is the production of food and wine: along the way there are numerous places where you can taste and buy typical local products: cured meats, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, DOC wines and local products with the name De.C.O. – Municipal Designation of Origin.

Elevation profile

Crossed locations

• 1  Salsomaggiore Terme
   - Start 0,0 km
• 2  Poggio Diana
   1,2 km
• 3  Tabiano Bagni
   3,7 km
• 4  Cabriolo
   8,8 km
• 5  Santa Margherita
   12,2 km
• 6  Borghetto
   14,2 km
• 7  Lago Tana
   17,1 km
• 8  Cella di Noceto
   27,4 km
• 9  Varano Marchesi
   32,3 km
• 10  Case Mezzadri
   35,3 km
• 11  San Vittore
   40,8 km
• 12  Piè di Via
   44,4 km
• 13  Salsomaggiore Terme
   47,8 km

Itinerary highlights

Cabriolo Parish Church - Fidenza

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Walking on the Via Francigena – Places of the spirit and soul.

San Vittore Church

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The church was initially called "Plebs Curticellis", a name that can be traced according to some sources to the name of the town of San Vittore in medieval times, "Corticelle", according to some hypotheses as it was included in one of the small courtyards in which the territory was divided.

San Giovanni in Contignaco Parish Church

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On the top of the hill was built, in pre-Roman times, the church of St. John. Inside you can admire frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries and pictorial testimonies of a singular local artist.


Castle of Contignaco, Aldighieri's Fortress

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Adalberto Pallavicino built the fortress during the XI century and seems that its main tower 30 meters high was built in 1030.