Rich in history and monuments, as well as gastronomy and art, Reggio Emilia is a beautiful city that is pleasant to visit in all seasons of the year. There are so many things to discover and experience that it becomes virtually impossible to be able to see (and experience) them all in a short time. Here are the things you absolutely must not miss in order to be able to say you have really seen Reggio Emilia, that is, everything worth seeing, trying, eating and drinking in the city.
First of all, Reggio Emilia is famous in Italy and around the world for its good food, which is why when you visit it you cannot do without a good meal in some of the city’s typical restaurants. And speaking of restaurants we recommend: Canale Maestro on Via del Guazzatoio, just a stone’s throw from Piazza Fontanesi, where you can stay well and eat well with also delicious contemporary seafood dishes, such as Spaghetto grosso, roasted celery cream, clams and shrimp and ombrine in red, lemon grass and misticanza; and Ristorante Canossa, on Via Roma, in the heart of the city, which offers the best traditional Emilian cuisine, prepared with care and dedication to satisfy even the most demanding palates.
But Reggio is not only restaurants; in fact, the city is also full of delicatessens where you can enjoy delicious typical Reggio products. One of the city’s most classic delicatessens is the Antica Salumeria Pancaldi on Via Broletto, in the ancient and sumptuous 15th-century palace of the Canons, which offers its customers delicious platters of cold cuts to eat even at breakfast. Another historic address for gourmets is Panificio Melli on Viale Umberto, where you can enjoy erbazzone, pizzas, gnocco and many other delicacies that are the result of a process that seems only at first glance industrial, because the quality and taste are always those of an artisanal production. For aperitifs, on the other hand, we recommend Jigger on Via San Carlo, with a glittering counter and bartenders ready to create the perfect tailor-made cocktail for you to pair with a few dishes, such as fassona “mojito” tartare or barbecued octopus.
As for things to see, a visit to the Basilica of San Prospero, surely the most beautiful church in the city, cannot be missed. Located in the heart of the historic center, the basilica is an extraordinary testimony of the Emilian Baroque and has a very rich decorative apparatus that has its climax in Camillo Procaccini’s Last Judgment. Staying on the religious theme, also worth a visit is the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara also located in the historic center, whose peculiarity is the extraordinary cycle of frescoes and altarpieces executed by the best artists of the 17th century in Emilia such as: Ludovico Carracci, Gianfrancesco Barbieri (the Guercino), Lionello Spada, Alessandro Tiarini, Carlo Bonomi and Luca Ferrari. For lovers of classicism, however, we suggest a visit to the Church of San Giovannino, whose earliest records date back as far as the 12th century.
The city is also full of interesting museums, among which the Collezione Maramotti certainly stands out, an incredible collection of canvases and modern art pieces from 1945 to the present, started by Achille Maramotti (who founded the Max Mara brand and related brands in 1951). The Collection is a journey through art, mainly Italian but also international, of the last 50 years, from Roman Pop Art to Transavantgarde. Among other museums, the following are worth a visit: the Museo del Tricolore, an exhilarating place that takes you straight into Italy’s most glorious history, from the Napoleonic period to the Risorgimento and the Wars of Independence; and the Galleria Parmeggiani, which houses an extraordinary collection of furniture, paintings and textiles, collected in the late 1800s and early 1900s by the eclectic Luigi Parmeggiani.
Throughout the year Reggio Emilia also hosts important events that are not to be missed, such as: Fotografia Europea, held in early May, a fascinating cultural festival born in 2006 and dedicated to contemporary photography, which showcases the best of international production in the “secret places” of Reggio; and Caseifici Aperti, the days (in April and October) when the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium opens its dairies to the public to understand how the most famous cheese in the world is made.
AGRITURISMO IL BRUGNOLO
Welcome to il Brugnolo
If you’re looking for completely independent apartments surrounded by greenery you really are in the right place here!
In fact, Brugnolo is immersed in the green nature of the Emilian countryside. For your relaxation, for that of your children, and again for the runs of your 4-legged friends, you will have 6000 square meters of park at your disposal!