The best traffic-free bike rides around Rivergaro

La Torre di Bobbiano, located near Travo in Val Trebbia, is an ancient stone fortification of medieval origin, mentioned for the first time in 1037 but probably pre-existing, linked to the Malaspina family.

A beautiful road leading from Rivergaro to Ponte dell'Olio. Challenging climbs, but manageable if you pedal normally. The descent to Ponte dell'Olio is also beautiful.

bridge over the Trebbia, allows you to cycle on the left side of the Trebbia between Rivergaro and Travo

The 357th giant bench of the Big Bench Community Project was "born" in Veano di Vigolzone, next to the long tree-lined avenue. From here, visitors can admire the splendid panorama and landscape of the Piacenza hills and valley, while also learning about the history of one of Piacenza's most illustrious citizens: Giulio Alberoni, his College, the artistic heritage it houses, and the Veano estate. Cardinal red is the color of the large bench awaiting travelers, tourists, walkers, cyclists, and the large community of bench-holders in Veano; red like the purple of Giulio Alberoni's cardinal's robe, which stands out in the most famous portrait for which the illustrious Piacenza native is recognized worldwide. It is the second in the Vigolzone area, after the one in Villò, inaugurated in 2022. https://www.ilpiacenza.it/attualita/installata-una-panchina-gigante-a-veano.html © IlPiacenza

View of the Parcellara stone coming from the Caldarola pass.

The descent that begins on the ridge that separates the Trebbia Valley from the Luretta Valley ends in Travo. The descent is very panoramic, with a beautiful view of the characteristic crest of Pietra Parcellara, also known as the Matterhorn of the Trebbia Valley, and Pietra Perduca. The beauty and uniqueness of the Pietre is given by the gap they show with respect to the context that surrounds them. If Pietra Perduca and Parcellara were in the Alps, they probably would not attract attention. Instead, they emerge in the middle of an Apennine landscape of gentle hills. The Pietre have a dominant position because while the surrounding soft formations were dismantled by erosive agents, they resisted thanks to the resistance of their rocks. A process known as differential erosion. Pietra Parcellara and Pietra Perduca are two fragments of oceanic crust trapped in the middle of clay and sandstone. It is precisely the contrast between the gently sloping slopes that define the Emilian Apennines and the decidedly Alpine appearance of the Pietre that makes these places so interesting.

The Bobbiano tower, whose foundation date is unknown, was mentioned for the first time in a document dating back to 1037 which testifies that Teodosio purchased from Isembrando, canon of the parish of San Faustino di Tuna, for a sum of 3,000 lire, several farms and fortified buildings located in the Piacenza area including the Bobbiano castle with the tower and the adjacent church of San Michele. On 29 September 1164 the Marquis Obizzo Malaspina obtained the concession of Bobbiano from the emperor Frederick Barbarossa. In 1255 the castle was partially razed to the ground by the troops in the service of Oberto II Pallavicino; later the building became part of the properties of the Anguissola family. In 1311 Rolando II Scotti took possession of Bobbiano, however shortly afterwards the Anguissola family managed to regain possession of the area thanks to the action of the mayor of Piacenza Riccardino Langosco. During the early years of the 16th century, the tower was used as a hideout by the gang led by the brigand Bertoletto. In 1546 the Duke of Parma and Piacenza granted Ettore Maria Anguissola half of the castle of Bobbiano, together with the nearby fortresses of Vei and Travo and the lands and homes located there, in exchange for the performance of an oath of loyalty. Until the mid-2010s the building, which had become private property, was in poor condition and partially abandoned. In 2017, restoration work began to make the building safe, and was completed in 2021.

The Riva castle is a fortified complex located in Ponte dell'Olio, in the province of Piacenza. It is so called as it is located in the district of the same name in the town, whose name derives, in all probability, from its proximity to the Nure stream; the castle was, in fact, built on the right bank of the stream to control the passage along the Nure valley. Its location, near the point where the Nure begins to flow into the Po Valley, was strategic as it allowed control of the passage towards the sea: via the Aveto valley towards Liguria and via the Taro valley towards Lunigiana.