A village that tells centuries of history
Fontanellato is a jewel of Emilia-Romagna, a village whose origins date back to the Bronze Age, as evidenced by the excavations carried out by Luigi Pigorini between 1888 and 1895.
The historic center, with its characteristic arcades and the square dominated by the Rocca Sanvitale, preserves the charm of a medieval village intact. Strolling through the streets of the center, you will find the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary — a pilgrimage destination since the 17th century — the Oratory of the Assumption, and the ancient seventeenth-century municipal theater.
Every third Sunday of the month, the square comes alive with the Antiques Market.
A fortress that guards masterpieces
An imposing fortress built in the 14th century on a pre-existing building from 1124, the Sanvitale Fortress is surrounded by a moat still fed by spring water today—one of the few remaining intact in Italy. Home to the Sanvitale Counts for six centuries, it was ceded to the Municipality in 1948 and transformed into a museum.
Today it houses frescoed rooms, period furnishings, and Parmigianino's masterpiece, as well as the evocative 19th-century Camera Ottica— the only functioning example in Italy.
The art that transforms a room into a dream
The Saletta di Diana e Atteone, frescoed by Francesco Mazzola known as Parmigianino between 1523 and 1524, is the most precious jewel of the Rocca. Commissioned by Galeazzo Sanvitale and his wife Paola Gonzaga, the young artist — just twenty years old — created a pictorial cycle that envelops the viewer in a mythological universe of rare beauty, considered among the masterpieces of Italian Mannerism.
What to visit in Fontanellato
Mercatino dell'Antiquariato
Ogni terza domenica del mese, sotto i portici del borgo: oggetti d'epoca, curiosità e pezzi unici da collezionisti di tutta Italia.
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Il Santuario del Rosario
Basilica seicentesca in forme barocche e neobarocche, meta di pellegrinaggio dal 1641. Custodisce la venerata immagine della Beata Vergine.
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La Camera Ottica
Nel torrione della Rocca, un gioco di prismi e specchi dell'Ottocento proietta la piazza su tre schermi. Unica in Italia ancora funzionante.
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