The best cycling routes around Soragna

Take water here, because you won't find any for a while (there are no fountains, you have to get it from bars which are practically non-existent on the Cremona - Casalmaggiore route)

preparing for a big concert.

The patronage of this sanctuary, consecrated to the Madonna, refers to the place LORETO. This is one of the great and significant Marian pilgrimage sites in Europe, along with LOURDES in the French Pyrenees and FATIMA in Portugal. In contrast to the other two mentioned places, Loreto is not known for apparitions of the Mother of God. Here, pilgrims can be shown something very tangible: Mary's childhood home in Nazareth (Israel). Her parents – who are not named in the biblical scriptures of the New Testament – are mentioned in apocryphal traditions: Saint ANNA and Saint JOACHIM are thus the grandparents of Jesus Christ (their common feast day in the liturgical calendar is July 26th). Probably, Crusaders, as the era of the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land came to an end towards the end of the 13th century, dismantled the building revered in Nazareth and transported it to Europe. However, this very sober assumption is contrasted by a much more interesting legend: According to it, four angels carried out the translation and flew the house across the Mediterranean.

Beautiful historic building with some museums inside.

The Governor's Palace is a Baroque and Neoclassical building located on the entire north side of Parma's central Piazza Garibaldi. The palace was originally built on the north side of Piazza Nuova (now Piazza Garibaldi) between 1283 and 1285 as the "Merchants' Palace," following the demolition of pre-existing dwellings. In late Romanesque style, it consisted of two separate buildings, separated in the center by the narrow Borgo di San Marco, which no longer exists. Entirely clad in brick, it rose above a portico on the ground floor and featured two rows of mullioned windows on the first floor; the façade was crowned by battlements at the top. Having lost its original mercantile function, the building soon became the seat of the Captain of the city and, later, of the Governor, the Civil Auditor, and other municipal magistrates. However, its architectural structure remained unchanged for centuries. Following the collapse of the towering Civic Tower on January 27, 1606, which also caused the destruction of the Town Hall, the need arose to renovate the Governor's Palace. Initially, the building was unified by enclosing the Borgo di San Marco with a vault. A tower was erected on top of this vault in 1673, designed by Piacenza engineer Gian Battista Barattieri. This tower assumed the former functions of the destroyed Civic Tower, retaining the original bell known as the "third bell," dating back to 1453, which remained intact over the centuries until it was replaced with a copy in 1998. In 1760, the court architect Ennemond Alexandre Petitot was commissioned to redesign the square; the Governor's Palace was thus renovated in elegant neoclassical style, with the addition of typical decorative elements. The central niche was also opened to house the statue of the Crowned Virgin, sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Boudard. In 1829, Duchess Maria Luigia commissioned Lorenzo Ferrari and Luigi Pazzoni to create the large sundials on the façade. In the 1920s, the interior and rear of the building underwent a major renovation in the Rationalist style, which preserved only some of the original interior decorations. The entire building, home to several municipal offices until the end of the 20th century, underwent a complete restoration between 2000 and 2009, transforming it into today's "Place of Modern and Contemporary Art": inaugurated in January 2010 with the Nove100 exhibition, it hosts temporary exhibitions of mostly contemporary art. SOURCE and further information https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_del_Governatore_(Parma)

Very nice square to visit, full of history and services in the area

refreshment point at the landing

beautiful, I passed by chance, a breathtaking view below and a comfortable and safe bike passage, I recommend it