Discover Fornovo di Taro

Fornovo di Taro brings together the Via Francigena, the Taro river landscape, and traces of religious and industrial history. If you are looking for a hotel in Fornovo di Taro, you can plan your trip around these different highlights: the pilgrimage route, the natural landscape, or cultural history. The routes, landscapes, and buildings offer a sense of what makes the town and its surroundings distinctive.

Fornovo di Taro on the Via Francigena

In the Province of Parma, the Via Francigena passes through Fidenza, Noceto, Medesano, Fornovo di Taro, Terenzo, and Berceto. A historic variant from Parma runs along the Parco fluviale del Taro and rejoins the route at Fornovo. In Ramiola, one of the access routes to the Taro River coincides with the Via Francigena. A path through Parco del Taro ends at the Pieve di Fornovo di Taro.

If you include one of these routes in your plans, check the current route with the relevant authorities before setting out. This allows you to take the route into account without treating the historic variant and the other paths as the same route.

River landscape and protected areas

Parco regionale Taro extends for about 20 kilometres along the river, from the Via Emilia to Fornovo. Its landscape includes natural gravel banks, islands, and branching river channels. More than 270 bird species have been observed in the park; the park authorities may update these figures as new surveys are conducted. This also makes the river landscape interesting for travellers who want to explore the Taro’s natural environment as well as the Via Francigena.

Fornovo di Taro is also one of the municipalities affected by protected area IT4020021 – ZSC-ZPS Medio Taro. This area covers the approximately 23-kilometre stretch of the Taro between Noceto and Fornovo. The regional park’s roughly 20 kilometres and the Natura 2000 site’s approximately 23 kilometres have different endpoints and do not describe the same geographical boundaries.

Cultural history: church, bridge, and Vallezza

The Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta on Piazza IV Novembre is a Roman Catholic religious building in the Romanesque style and is one of the historic parish churches in the Province of Parma. Inside is a reliquary cross from the 11th or 12th century depicting Christ crucified; pilgrims venerated the cross. The Ponte sul Fiume Taro also shapes Fornovo’s historic appearance: the monumental 19th-century bridge has twenty arches and four marble statues representing local waterways. A commemorative plaque recalls the 1495 Battle of Fornovo between the army of Charles VIII and the Italian League.

Villa Carona stands on a hill on the outskirts of Fornovo, offers views across the Val Taro, and has more than eight centuries of history. It can only be viewed from the outside; check before your trip whether this arrangement is still in place.

In Vallezza, landscape and industrial history meet. The oil-producing area extends across agricultural land; the preserved extraction site includes pumping stations, pumpjacks, chain systems, tie rods, and gears. The oil extraction system is considered a unique example in Italy. Italy’s first oil was extracted in the Vallezza area. The MuPe – Parco Museo del petrolio is also located there, at the former Cantiere SPI.

Getting there and choosing your destination

Fornovo di Taro can be reached via the exit of the same name on the A15. The Parma–La Spezia railway line and public bus services also serve the town. Before travelling, check current timetables, road conditions, and signage. When choosing a hotel, you can first decide which focus matters most for your trip: the Via Francigena, the Taro as a river and natural landscape, or the religious and industrial traces of history.

Discover more destinations: Sissa, Salsomaggiore Terme, Bardi, Borghetto, Bagni di Tabiano, Valditacca, Vignale, Case Vecchie.

For the broader travel overview: Parma.