For centuries, Reggio Emilia was part of the Este family’s domains, one of the most important dynasties in Italian history, which left a distinctive mark on the local architecture, urban planning and artistic heritage. In this article, we would like to take you on a fascinating journey back in time, a cultural itinerary at a leisurely pace that you can enjoy starting from our agriturismo, whether in a single day or over an entire weekend. Unexpected treasures and numerous reminders of a past that profoundly shaped the Reggio Emilia area await you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before reaching Reggio Emilia, the Rocca dei Boiardo<\/strong> deserves a mention. It is the landmark of Scandiano. Its origins date back to the 12th century, when it was built by the Da Fogliano family, primarily for defensive purposes. In the 15th century, it was transformed into a noble residence by the Boiardo family (from whom it takes its name), before being enhanced with Renaissance and Baroque features through subsequent renovations carried out by the Thiene marquises in the 16th century, the Bentivoglio marquises in the 17th century and, finally, the Este princes between the 17th and 18th centuries. It is precisely to the Este family’s presence that we owe the so-called Este Apartments<\/strong>, a suite of richly decorated rooms on the ground floor, which underwent major restoration work in the early decades of the 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaving Scandiano behind, head towards Reggio Emilia to discover one of the most significant examples of the Este family’s network of residences in the Reggio Emilia area: the Reggia di Rivalta<\/strong>. Located in the hamlet of the same name on the outskirts of the city, it was built from 1723 onwards at the behest of Duke Francesco III d’Este, modelled on the Palace of Versailles. The initial design was entrusted to Giovanni Maria Ferraroni and subsequently developed by the brothers Francesco and Giovan Battista Bolognini, while the gardens were designed by Jean de Baillou. Today, following an extensive restoration and redevelopment project, the vast park of approximately 26 hectares surrounding the palace has reopened to visitors, offering the opportunity to stroll among landscaped settings where nature and architecture blend seamlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the Reggia di Rivalta, the duke and his court would travel towards the historic centre of Reggio Emilia along a route specifically designed to connect the suburban residence with the heart of the city’s political power. This route is known as the Ducal Walk<\/strong> and runs along two important urban thoroughfares: Viale Umberto I, conceived as a tree-lined boulevard in the second half of the 18th century, and Corso Garibaldi, built along the former course of the Crostolo stream after it was diverted. Along the way, you will come across squares, open spaces, historic buildings and monuments that tell the story of the city’s transformation during the Este period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right along the Ducal Walk, overlooking Corso Garibaldi, stands the Palazzo Ducale<\/strong>, now primarily known as Palazzo Salvador Allende. Designed by architect Pietro Armani, it was built in the second half of the 18th century as the governor’s residence, on the site of a former monastery. In 1814, it was donated by the city to Duke Francesco IV, who made it his residence in Reggio Emilia. Inside, tempera decorations by artists Vincenzo Carnevali and Prospero Minghetti have been preserved. The palace can be visited in the areas open to the public during the opening hours of the Prefecture and the offices of the Province of Reggio Emilia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just a few steps from the Palazzo Ducale, inside the Town Hall in Piazza Prampolini, lies one of the city’s most iconic landmarks: the Sala del Tricolore<\/strong> (Hall of the Italian Flag). On 7 January 1797, representatives from the cities of Reggio, Modena, Bologna and Ferrara gathered here to approve the adoption of the green, white and red flag of the Cispadane Republic, which would later become Italy’s national flag. The hall was designed in the second half of the 18th century by architect Ludovico Bolognini, commissioned by Duke Francesco III d’Este, to house the archives of the Duchy of Reggio. Today, it is home to the City Council and is open to visitors. The adjacent rooms house the Museo del Tricolore<\/strong> (Italian Flag Museum), where documents, historical artefacts and exhibition materials tell the story of the Italian flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To explore the relationship between Reggio Emilia and the Este family further, a visit to the Palazzo dei Musei<\/strong> is another interesting opportunity. Located on Via Lazzaro Spallanzani, it is the main home of the Civic Museums, whose collections range from archaeology and history to art and science. Inside, there is a permanent section dedicated to the Este family. Among the most interesting exhibits is a copy of Correggio’s famous The Night<\/em>. The original painting, initially housed in the Basilica of San Prospero, was transferred by Francesco I d’Este to the court collections and subsequently taken to Dresden following the controversial sale promoted by Francesco III d’Este.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of this itinerary, rich in beauty, art and culture, all you need to do is return to Agriturismo Il Brugnolo<\/strong>. Awaiting you are the rejuvenating silence of our countryside, the peaceful atmosphere of our accommodation and the scents of our Emilian land, ready to lull you into a well-deserved rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo \u00a9 Emilia Romagna Turismo<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A cultural itinerary at a leisurely pace, waiting to be discovered from our agriturismo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-itineraries"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":21,"label":"Itineraries"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Foto-\u00a9-Emilia-Romagna-Turismo-1024x768.jpg",1024,768,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"salvatoremenale1","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/author\/salvatoremenale1\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":21,"name":"Itineraries","slug":"itineraries","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":21,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":159,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":21,"category_count":159,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Itineraries","category_nicename":"itineraries","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6631"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6634,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6631\/revisions\/6634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ilbrugnolo.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}