Piacenza Between Art and the Trebbia

Piacenza combines art collections and architecture with the landscape of the Trebbia. The city’s museum collections range from liturgical objects and choir books to paintings and tapestries; along the river, gravel banks, terraces, grassland and habitats for migratory birds shape the landscape. Parks add further highlights: walking and mountain biking trails are among the attractions, as are well-preserved remains of fortifications. This means you can plan your days around culture, urban history, nature or cycling.

Museums and Architecture

A museum tour in Piacenza brings together the Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi and the Galleria Alberoni. The Musei Civici are housed in the Visconti Citadel and the Farnese building. The picture gallery at Palazzo Farnese displays Sandro Botticelli’s tondo “Madonna adorante il Bambino con S. Giovannino.” The Galleria d’Arte Moderna Ricci Oddi preserves mainly Italian works dating from 1830 to 1930.

The Collegio Alberoni preserves Antonello da Messina’s “Ecce Homo,” works by Flemish artists and paintings by Italian artists of the 17th century. The Nuova Galleria Alberoni displays most of the painting collection, along with 18 Flemish tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Alberoni collections thus bring together painting and textile art from different centuries.

The museums at the cathedral and the Basilica di S. Antonino also focus on different collections. The Kronos – Museo della Cattedrale displays Codice 65, along with liturgical objects, paintings, sculptures and furnishings from churches in the diocese. The tour includes a climb to the cathedral dome, where you can view Guercino’s 17th-century frescoes up close. The Museo Capitolare of the Basilica di S. Antonino preserves 15th-century dorsals, 17th- and 18th-century paintings, liturgical objects and 14th- and 15th-century choir books.

The Palazzo Gotico stands out for its pointed arches, multi-light windows and battlements. In Piacenza, the Via Francigena runs along Via Garibaldi to Piazza Cavalli, where the monumental Palazzo Gotico and the Farnese equestrian statues are prominent landmarks. The route leaves Piacenza via San Lazzaro, passing the Collegio Alberoni museum and a pilgrims’ hospice.

River Landscape and Parks

The Parco Regionale Fluviale del Trebbia stretches from Rivergaro to the confluence with the Po, on the western edge of Piacenza’s urban area. Its landscape includes the Trebbia’s broad gravel and shingle banks, river terraces, grassland and scrub vegetation. It also includes habitats for migratory birds. The park encompasses two Natura 2000 sites designated as a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area, as well as the Croara regional geosite, ID 2029.

The Centro Visite del Parco del Trebbia in Borgotrebbia offers an interactive visitor experience featuring videos, sounds and a range of sensory and emotional elements. Piacenza’s Parco Papa Giovanni Paolo II (Galleana) has numerous walking and mountain biking trails. In the wooded southern part, well-preserved remains of 19th-century Austrian fortifications can be found. Parco di Montecucco, meanwhile, has numerous trails, meadows and trees. The two parks have different features: Galleana combines trails and fortification remains, while Montecucco is characterized by trails, meadows and trees.

Cycling Around Piacenza

The Ciclovia del Trebbia starts at Piacenza railway station and runs through the pedestrian zone of the historic city centre. South of Piacenza, it initially follows a protected cycle path; it then reaches Gossolengo via a combined cycle and pedestrian path separated from motor traffic. A round trip between Piacenza and Rivergaro, without detours, is listed as approximately 50 kilometres with 300 metres of elevation gain. Depending on conditions, the difficulty ranges from low to moderate. The start point and route details help distinguish a ride through the urban area from the described return trip to Rivergaro.

A Regional Excursion

The regional offering includes the Colli Piacentini wine-growing area: visitors can taste DOC wines in the places where they are produced, and winemakers open their cellars and guide visitors through the vineyards. Check the availability of each individual winery before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Bettola, Cortemaggiore, Croce, Castelvetro Piacentino, San Pietro In Cerro, Rivergaro, Monticelli D'ongina, Gazzola, Ottone, Rodi, Castel San Giovanni, Ziano Piacentino, Alseno, Ponte Dell'olio, Morfasso, Borgonovo Valtidone, Rustigazzo, Vigoleno, Pecorara, Lugagnano Val D'arda, Agazzano, Gragnano Trebbiense, Vigolzone, Chiaravalle, Ferriere, Perino, San Nazzaro, Tassara, Larzano-castello, Oneto, Nibbiano, Calendasco, Bicchignano, Forno, San Nicolò, Pianello Val Tidone, Quartazzola, Piozzano, Bobbio, Casa Nuova, Caminata, Gropparello, Carpaneto Piacentino, Castell'arquato, Vernasca, Russi, Pontenure, Piacenza, Fiorenzuola Dʼarda, Cadeo, Roveleto, Podenzano, Travo, Bolgheri, Folignano

For the regional travel overview: Emilia-Romagna.