Pontremoli & Fornovo di Taro

 

Pontremoli is a small charming medieval city in the province of Massa and Carrara, Tuscany region, central Italy. It is situated 40 kilometres northeast of La Spezia and 90 kilometres (56 mi) south-southwest of Parma.

Apart from being a Tuscan town, it is also one of the most distinctive Lunigiana centres. It’s widely believed by historians that Pontremoli is recognized as the mythical Apua, the ancient capital of the Ligurian-Apuan civilization.  It can be the reason that Museum of the Lunigiana Stele Statues (Piagnaro Castle / Castello del Piagnaro) is located in this tiny city. 

We visited Pontremoli on 1 May, a chilly rainy day. After parking the car, we headed to the Museum of the Lunigiana Stele Statues housed in the Piagnaro Castle straightaway. A lift located directly in the “Porta Parma” car park, near the old hospital. It saved us some energy from climbing up the slippery path.

 

The Stele Statues, male and female human figures represented in abstract forms, were carved in sandstone by the populations that lived between the 4th and 1st millennium BC and still remain a partly unresolved enigma today. These prehistoric and protohistoric images are characterized by a “carabiniere hat” head and a U-shaped face, classified by archaeologists into three typological groups (A, B, C). They were created between the Copper Age and the Iron Age and have survived through the millenniums.

Group A

These stele statues are characterized b a semi-circular outlined head that is not distinct from the body except for a slight recess indicating the shoulders. They also feature a thin horizontal raised band representing the clavicle area.

Group B

It is characterized by an evolution compared to the previous group, with a greater definition of anatomical details and a clear distinction between the head and the torso. The head, in a semicircular arch shape, has more or less developed lateral expansions and it connected to the body through a truncated-conical neck.

 

Group C

It includes the more recent stele statues, characterized b a more realistic representation of the human figure and nearly three-dimensional craftsmanship of the monument, showing a clear attempt at achieving depth. 

Around 80 Stele Statues were found in Pontremoli and the surroundings. The Museum of Stele Statues is the most representative in Italy in terms of the number of collected specimens and documentation on discovery sites, the raw materials used, and the techniques of craftsmanship. A smaller scale section is housed in the archeological museum within the San Giorgio Castle in La Spezia.

After seeing the cute Stele Statues, we walked around the Piagnaro Castle which dates back to year 1000. It was built for military and road control purposes. Its imposing appearance dominates the skyline of Pontremoli. Being at the Castle, one can have a supreme panoramic view of the medieval town of Pontremoli. Rivers, surrounding hills, clusters of antique building structures and extensive greenery. So romantic and beautiful on a gloomy day. The greens were totally refreshed and appealing after the rain. 

Slowly, we descended to the town centre where the Cathedral and Campanile stand. Construction on the Duomo started in 1636. Its Baroque interior is decorated with rich stuccoes. The tower near the Duomo was built in 1332 but turned into a bell and clock tower in the 16th century. 

I was attracted to the Antica Pasticceria degli Svizzeri, a pastry shop founded in 1842 by a Swiss family, by researching Pontremoli at the web. The Art Nouveau style café and pastry shop are dated from 1842. The heirs of the family still run the shops today. The Art Nouveau furnishings of the restaurant remains and the tradition of "amor" and spongata are still created using ancient recipes. 

We opt for Amor (it consists of two wafers filled with mouthwatering Chantilly cream), cakes with almond and hot chocolate which is similar to Piedmont style, thick and intensive flavour of chocolate. Superb! 

Antica Pasticceria degli Svizzeri is located at Republic Square 21/22.  Don’t miss it if you are in Pontremoli.

The rain didn’t stop. We strolled a bit around the town, to enjoy the romantic scenes. 

As the rain got heavier, it’s difficult to walk around. Instead, we drove to Fornovo di Taro to have a look at the Romanesque parish church (S. Maria Assunta). Why the place?  It is a memory! In 2011, when we returned from Lucca to Milan, the train stopped at Fornovo di Taro due to a national wide rail worker strike. Luckily, our friend in Milan drove up there and took us home. 

As one of the most important Romanesque churches in the Parma area, S. Maria Assunta has valuable narrative friezes and sculptural pieces from the Antelami school inside. On the façade, noteworthy is the scene depicting Hell and the deadly sins.