The best road cycling routes around Rivarolo Mantovano

What was once a hunting lodge palace like? You can see it at the court of Sala Baganza, nestled in the first hills of the Apennines, near the Baganza stream. It played a primary role in the defensive system of the castles of Parma: here lived counts and dukes for centuries, the Sanvitale, the Farnese, the Bourbon. The Rocca Sanvitale of Sala Baganza, in the province of Parma, is enriched by a large eighteenth-century garden enclosed by walls from the era. Inside, it preserves precious frescoes and stuccoes, settings where women of hearts, culture, and conspiracies spun destinies and plots. From the heroine Donella Rossi to the beautiful Barbara Sanseverino and her stepdaughter Eleonora, sung by Torquato Tasso, and then the controversial Maria Amalia of Habsburg-Lorraine and finally the Duchess of Parma Maria Luigia, a guest in the residence for a long period. Reopened to the public in 2003, it hosts cultural initiatives and concerts organized within the suggestive eighteenth-century Oratory of the Assunta.

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)

Felino Castle is located in the hills between the Parma and Baganza rivers in Emilia, a manor surrounded by a wide, deep moat and defended by imposing bastions. You will enter an elegant and charming atmosphere in the interior rooms and enchanting outdoor spaces, where summer events can be held, illuminated by the vibrant light of torches and the romantic glow of the moon. The main courtyard is accessed via a bridge over a wide moat. The bridge, now fixed but a drawbridge until the 19th century, was the castle's last defense against invaders. The dark bronze door, once opened, reveals a bright, luminous courtyard overlooked by porticoes and galleries that, over time, have replaced the ancient accesses to the patrol walkways. The high walls, defensive towers, and mighty keep are surrounded by a lawn whose position and shape resemble a terrace overlooking the hills and the plains stretching below the castle. Today, after over twenty years of careful restoration, it can be admired in all its splendor. Its nighttime illumination is so evocative and powerful that it can be seen from kilometers away. SOURCE: https://castelliemiliaromagna.it/it/s/felino/6005-castello_di_felino/ HISTORY of the castle and other information; https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castello_di_Felino

refreshment point at the landing

This characteristic village in the Mantua area is best known for the pontoon bridge that allows you to cross the Navarolo canal. Right next to the bridge is the imposing Torrazzo tower. A watchtower commissioned by Vespasiano Gonzaga.

Felino Castle is a medieval manor located on a hill in Strada Al Castello 1 in Felino, in the province of Parma; the building is home to a restaurant and the Felino salami museum.

The Bodrio Ca de' Gatti is a naturalistic area that aims to protect the surrounding lake.

Nice gravel climb