Art and culture
The greatest attractions of the province are its enchanted castles, which are the most numerous and best preserved in the whole region.
Piacenza is located in a position of great means of communication, which boasts a patrimony of architectural forts, some of the most interesting in Italy (www.castellidelducato.it).
Just by arriving to the city of Piacenza means a step in its history via the antique roman roads the Via Emilia and the Via Postumia, or the medieval road the Via Francigena (www.viafrancigena.com), which was used by pilgrims going to Rome. Actually, along the way, they could count on a wide range of assistance, hospitals, and rest points such as the abbey of 'Chiaravalle della Colomba', founded in 1135 by Saint Bernard, and the antique abbey of Bobbio, founded in 614 by the irish monk Saint Colombano.
There was also a branch of the same road passing through Vigolo Marchese, a small town boasting a most romantic romanesque church with a 11th century baptistery, and the suggestive forts of Castell’Arquato and that of Vigoleno. Speaking of Piacenza, one cannot forget the roman origin of the town: among the monuments of that period the roman ruins of the antique city of Velleja are really meriting a visit, with the roman spas, offices, living quarters, there is also an amphitheatre