A Walk Through a Castle / The Final Day (Part 2)
An extraordinary conclusion to our week in Parma
One senses the strategic importance and the beauty of the Torrechira Castle as you come upon it during the drive as seen above.
Dating back to the 1400’s, now protected as a national monument, the Castle is described below in this official message:
Torrechiara Castle
“All is deserted and silent; yet one does not feel the mournfulness that grips the soul of other fortresses. The appeal of art provides comfort and delight here. It survives over everything, always joyous and always consoling.”
— Corrado Ricci, 1894
Construction of Torrechiara Castle began in 1448 at the behest of Pier Maria Rossi, Count of San Secondo. A distinguished military leader in the service of the Visconti of Milan, Rossi recognized the strategic value of a castle at the mouth of the Parma River, offering control of access to Liguria and Tuscany. The castle is perched on a terraced hill, once surrounded by vineyards and olive groves that supplied oil for burning and pressing—thus the name Torrechiara, derived from "Torchiara," meaning a press.
Although conceived for military purposes, Pier Maria Rossi built Torrechiara as his stately home with his beloved, Bianca Pellegrini da Arluno.
The castle is a remarkable example of fortified architecture in Italy, preserving its late-Medieval layout. It features four angular towers:
The Lion’s Tower, named for the lion on the Rossi coat of arms (serving as the keep)
St. Nicomedes’ Tower
The Fleur-de-Lis Tower
The Golden Bedchamber Tower
A double crenellated curtain wall links the towers and encloses an inner Courtyard of Honour. In the late 16th century, the eastern side was expanded and covered to form a panoramic loggia offering a commanding view of the valley below.
The entrance…
After a steady climb up, the views of the valley and the Parma River are spectacular…
As you enter room after room and climb three floors up in the Castle, the frescos abound…
And, at the highest level of the Castle is a room used as a bedchamber and an office and, as explained by our guide, Alice Rossi, represents the love between the owner and the woman who was his companion for many years. Here is an official description:
The Golden Bedchamber of Torrechiara
This was the bedchamber of Pier Maria Rossi and his beloved Bianca Pellegrini. The room retains the original splendor of its 15th-century decorations by Benedetto Bembo, though recent studies suggest the work may have been done by his brother, Gerolamo. The walls were originally lined with gilded tiles.
The room’s bass-relief stuccoes and stunning tiles embody the majesty of the late-Gothic era. Symbolic imagery representing the lovers’ family crests—the Rossi lion and the Pellegrini tower—is surmounted by a peregrine falcon and a radiant sun nestled between two pilgrim’s staves. Latin mottos reinforce their romantic devotion:
nunc et semper (“now and always”)
digne et in aeternum (“worthy and forever”)
The decorative program tells a delightfully romantic story. Turret murals depict rituals of courtly love, while panel scenes narrate Bianca’s journey in search of true love—a pilgrimage from castle to castle. This is both a celebration of love’s power and a visual assertion of her dominion, represented with historical fidelity.
The pictorial cycle found here is the oldest visual documentation of the castle’s architecture and a key to understanding the geographical scope of the Rossi family’s possessions.
In one corner, remnants of Pier Maria’s private study survive. Monochrome frescoes in green earth pigments portray Virgil with Terence, and Samson with Hercules—symbols of intellectual and physical strength.
So, this concludes our visit to Parma, Italy and the surrounding area. It has be an exceptional experience! We had a wonderful group of fellow travelers and we are all grateful to and her company for the fine organization and planning that went into our visit. Having Elizabeth with us throughout the trip was a special treat.
And, special thanks goes to Alice Rossi, a native of Parma and our extraordinary guide for the week. Honestly, if you come to Parma you should not miss the insights and special places Alice can share with you.
I hope you enjoyed the journey!