Immersed in the Unesco heritage

Photo: Vho di Piadena, il canale Magio - @ Lisetta Carmi, courtesy Martini e Ronchetti

The axis Brescia-Cremona-Mantua and Sabbioneta boasts numerous UNESCO attractions: the World Heritage present in the Brescia area, the Cremona International school and heritage of violin making, the Mantova-Sabbioneta Site, the Palafitticoli Sites between Brescia, Cremona and Mantua.
Within a radius of 90 km, the Lombardy region has a density of UNESCO recognized properties that is not comparable to other Italian regions and perhaps beyond.
For the first time, public and private stakeholders share the opportunity of a common investment on the UNESCO territorial resources, activating the first Axis for the Strategic Tourism Valorisation of UNESCO attractors between Brescia, Cremona, Mantua and Sabbioneta.
The Trattoria dell'Alba is immersed in these beautiful areas and is an integral part of the project "La grande @ttrazione (The great @ttraction)" born to enhance this area.

LAGAZZI OF THE VHO (Piadena – CR)

The Lagazzi are located south of the village of Vho in the municipality of Piadena (the road, in the last stretch of dirt road, just before the church) and can be reached through a path marked by appropriate signs.
The area is also included in the cycle paths of the area ("Casteldidone - Piadena passing through the Lagazzi" on www.piste-ciclabili.com).
There are no visible ancient structures, but a tour route has been equipped with information panels in the area of natural interest that allows one to imagine the ancient environment and also to perform a geomorphological reading of the area.
At the beginning of the itinerary the UNESCO site's plate is positioned.
The Lagazzi's finds can be found in the Platina Museum in Piadena.
The Platina Museum, located in the central square of Piadena, organizes educational visits from the spring to the autumn, combined with a visit to the collections and workshops for children (there are also offers available for schools).
In the museum it is possible to literally visit the houses of the ancient stilt house through a digital reconstruction.
The exhibition itinerary proceeds from the Upper Paleolithic to the Early Middle Ages.
Ample space is dedicated to the large settlements of the Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC), like the populated dwelling of the Lagazzi del Vho.
Various educational activities are available for school audiences and families.
An audio guide service is also available.

PIADENA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Piazza G. Garibaldi, 3 Piadena (CR)
Phone: +39 0375 380131 E-mail: info@museopiadena.it
www.museopiadena.it

TRADITIONAL VIOLIN CRAFTSMANSHIP IN CREMONA

Cremonese craftsmanship is renowned for the construction and restoration of violins, violas, cellos and double basses.
The artisans attend a specialized school, based on a close teacher-student relationship, before doing apprenticeship in a workshop, where they continue to imrpove the technique.
Each craftsman builds from three to six instruments a year, shaping and assembling more than 70 pieces of wood around a mold according to the different acoustic responses of each piece.
There are no two identical violins and each part of the instrument is made of a specific wood, carefully selected and naturally seasoned.
No semi-industrial or industrial material is used.
This craftsmanship requires a high level of creativity and Cremonese violin makers are deeply convinced that sharing their knowledge is essential for the growth of their craft, as dialogue with musicians is essential to understand their needs.
The "Antonio Stradivari Liutai Consortium" and the "Italian Liutary Association" are considered fundamental for the identity of Cremona and its citizens.

MANTUA AND SABBIONETA

The two Gonzaga cities of Mantua (pictured) and Sabbioneta have been proposed in the list of sites to be protected as exceptional urban achievements, the result of the highest expression of human genius and, therefore, to be handed down, as they are, with all their jewels of art and culture.
Mantua and Sabbioneta offer an exceptional testimony of urban, architectural and artistic realization of the Renaissance, connected among themselves through the ideas and ambitions of the ruling family, the Gonzagas.
They represent the most eminent examples of the two most emblematic modalities of the urban planning of the Renaissance, respectively the evolutionary one and the foundational one. As such, they served as a reference for most of the subsequent building experiences of the city until the modern era. The artists who contributed to the realization of the two cities produced masterpieces that brought to fulfillment the ideals of the early Renaissance, contributing decisively to the international diffusion of a movement destined to influence and shape the whole of Europe.
Mantua and Sabbioneta have preserved to this day these characteristics in their urban fabric as they have preserved many emblematic works of art of the Renaissance absolutely fundamental for the historical reconstruction and understanding of European culture.

Sabbioneta built according to the humanistic principles of the ideal city, houses within it several monuments such as the Palazzo Ducale or Palazzo Grande, ducal residence and place for the administration of the State, the Teatro all'Antica or Teatro Olimpico (1590) designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi, the first theatrical building of the modern era built specifically for this function, the Gallery of the Ancients or Corridor Grande, appointed to host the collection of ancient marbles as well as the hunting trophies, the Palazzo Giardino or Casino, a place dedicated to the otium and valuable redeveloped between 1582 and 1587 by Bernardino Campi and his team of collaborators, the churches of the Assunta, Incoronata, del Carmine, the Synagogue and the historic Jewish quarter, today no longer inhabited by a community, with its printing activities, founded in 1567 by Tobias Foa.

Palazzo Ducale

Location: Sabbioneta (MN)

The Palazzo Ducale or Palazzo Grande, is a historic building of Sabbioneta, with two floors, a portico and a central tower, which overlooks Piazza Ducale. It was the first significant building to be built by Vespasiano Gonzaga (1531-1591) (son of Rodomonte and Isabella Colonna, educated in Fondi by the famous Aunt Giulia Gonzaga) in his ideal city, capital of the namesake little state: it was the residence of the ruling family and the fulcrum of the political, administrative and courtly organization of the duchy.

Palazzo Giardino

Location: Sabbioneta (MN)

The "Great Corridor" was built between 1584 and 1586 to be the container of the Duke's collections.
The collection, which included ancient marbles and also hunting trophies from the imperial collections of Prague, remained inside the building until 1773, when they were transferred to the palace of the Academy of Mantua.
Today the restored marble is exhibited in the Palazzo Ducale gallery and in Palazzo San Sebastiano, both in the chief town.

Tacoli Estate

Location: Castellaro Lagusello (MN)

Castellaro Lagusello is an important village of medieval origin, famous for its walls and for the many initiatives that take place during the year.
The site, buried and not directly visitable, is located in the south-west of the medieval center.
There are various paths that allow you to penetrate the marshy area to observe the area of natural interest.
Recently, an emotional visit route has been created and an UNESCO plaque is positioned along it.

Bande - Carpani Court

Location: Cavriana (MN)

The Bande basin is located north of Cavriana and west of Bande, between the Corte Carpani and the Cascina Parolara.
The archaeological area is located on private land, partly cultivated and can not be visited, but has been equipped a cognitive path of the area.
The UNESCO plaque is positioned at the beginning of the panoramic dirt road that leads to the site with a short walk.
The area is renowned for three well-known wine cellars.