The best walks and hikes around Fornovo Di Taro

Life has been going on on the hill of Carona for centuries. In 1248, Bertrando Rossi built the "Castello di Fornovo" on the Fornovo hill, where a chapel already existed. The noble family maintained ownership of the property in the following centuries, despite attempts at siege and occupation. Along with the Rossi period, the historical stratification of Carona records a fundamental transition with the construction of the Villa, in the early 17th century, by the Jesuits. The Collegio dei Nobili of Parma, directed by the Jesuit Fathers, used this residence as a holiday resort from 1604. After a period of closure, the villa was reopened in 1831, by decree of the Duchess of Parma, Maria Luigia, and unified with the Collegio Lalatta under the name Collegio Maria Luigia. Villa Carona became the residence of a few students and the summer residence of the directors of the new educational institute, and remained so until the Second World War. The annexes later became the residence of various families, while from 1943 to 1945, the structure was occupied by soldiers. The villa's structure is characterized by a large three-part U-shaped building with a long three-story façade interrupted by a three-arched loggia. Two two-story lateral buildings border an internal courtyard, completed in the background by a chapel now in ruins. The Jesuits paid great attention to the exterior, to the maintenance of the greenery, which became an integral part of the structure and the lives of its inhabitants. SOURCE: https://www.comune.fornovo-di-taro.pr.it/luoghi/villa-carona HISTORY: The castle was built in the 13th century by the Rossi family. In the mid-14th century, it was owned by Giacomo de' Rossi. In 1408, it was captured by the Terzi family, but shortly thereafter returned to Rossi's possessions. During this period, the coast was known as "Castel Maria di Caronia," in honor of Pier Maria II de' Rossi. In 1480, Pier Maria Rossi left Carona Castle, along with other fortresses in the Apennines, to his son Bertrand in his will. In 1482, during the war between the Rossis and Ludovico il Moro, the castle was occupied by ducal troops, but was promptly retaken by Guido de' Rossi. At the end of the war, which resulted in Guido's defeat, the castle passed to Bertrand, his legitimate heir. In 1495, during the Battle of Fornovo (part of the First Italian War) between the armies of France and the anti-French Holy Alliance, the castle was burned by Swiss troops in the pay of the French king Charles VIII. Inherited along with the fiefdom of Berceto by Troilo I de' Rossi upon the death of his uncle Bertrando, it became part of the Rossi di San Secondo family's domains until Scipione I de' Rossi, burdened by debts, sold it to the municipality of Parma in 1666, which left it abandoned. In the 18th century, the Jesuits built the Villa dei Gesuiti on the few remains of the castle, which served as the summer residence of the College of Nobles. Nothing remains of the castle, as the aforementioned villa was built on top of it. SOURCE: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Carona

sacred image to protect the hamlet of Caselle

fully functional

It can't be called a peak, but Monte della Croce is Fornovo's viewpoint par excellence: a panoramic point from which you can gaze from one bank of the Taro River to the other, all the way to the Apennines, and dominate the entire town. Visible even from afar, the mountain owes its name to the cross, originally made of wood. It was apparently placed on the hill in the second half of the 17th century to celebrate the presence of a well-known Jesuit preacher, Paolo Sègneri, famous for his Lenten sermons. The current iron cross replaced it in the early 1900s, after an anarchist named Canali set fire to the wooden one in 1903. SOURCE: https://appenninoemilia.it/punti_di_interesse/vette-2/

Mount Prinzera is a peak I highly recommend (both on foot and by mountain bike). It offers panoramic views and a unique morphology.

Beautiful 360-degree view! Worth a visit!

easy hike with beautiful views

Panoramic point par excellence for the municipality of Fornovo di Taro, from which you can gaze from one bank of the Taro river to the other up to the Apennines, locate the confluence of the Ceno, guess the surrounding hills and locations, dominate the entire town.