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A historical outline:
Castle of Felino
Between the valleys of Parma and Baganza rivers, guarding the area gently descending from the Apennines to the plains, we find an old manor house suspended between history and legend: the Castle of Felino.
The story goes that the origin of the castle dates back to the early Middle Ages. It was founded in 890 by the will of the Marquis Luppone and, for centuries, it will host brave knights and gallant leaders that come here to face a duel or to find refuge or rest, but also poets and artists to celebrate the magnificence of the courts.
After the dark Middle Ages, marked by raids and looting, it became home to some important families: from Rossi to Sforza, from Pallavicino to Farnese.
In those centuries, the castle becomes a place of court intrigues and love affairs, taking a leading role in politics, thanks to its strategic location. The Castle enjoyed its heyday in the fourteenth century under the rule of the Rossi family, being turned from a defensive manor place into a mansion.
This brings us to 1775 when the property goes to the Bishops of Parma, who used it as a resort until 1935. To this day one of the most prestigious halls of the castle is called Hall of Bishops.
Architecture
The Castle of Felino bears visible traces of the various lordships who lived there.
The only surviving element of the original building is in fact the tower facing the west, while the rest has been expanded and modified subsequently, until 1483, when the powerful Rossi dynasty, who brought the Castle to the peak of its splendour, ended..
After this date the castle went through various modification, especially as far as the furniture is concerned, following the transition from fortress to residential estate.
The external architectural structure, on the contrary, maintained the typical characteristics of fourteenth-century fortress of the Parma area: a quadrangular plan with four corner towers that dominate the walls. The guard tower is characterized by a double row of slits and deep furrows in the central part, to which the drawbridge was once hooked.
The high tower is the most massive stronghold, facing north west, which was also the refuge of the lords in case of attacks. The main courtyard is rectangular with a central well, while on the north side you can see traces of a double series of arches, perhaps the remains of an ancient loggia.
A chapel and an oratory dedicated to Saint Peter were also added in the second half of the fifteenth century. At the end of the 19th century property passed for nearly two centuries to the Bishops of Parma, who then sold it to private families that left him in a situation of neglect and decay.
All this changed in 1974, when the Castle was purchased by the present owner, who has completely restored and brought it back to its former glory. The work of deep and systematic restoration lasted 30 years and led the castle to a perfect state of conservation.
The ancient kitchens and larders can now be visited, with the original fireplace and oven, now seat to the Museum of the Felino salami, assembled to let the history and essence of what has been called the "Prince of salami" be known and appreciated .
Among the works of art that still adorn the interior, one can admire a votive fresco dating back to the 15th century depicting the Virgin and Child, known as the "Virgin of the robin”, and a precious bell forged in 1652 for Ranuccio II Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza.
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Italiano
