The best road cycling routes around Torrile

The patronage of this sanctuary, consecrated to the Madonna, refers to the place LORETO. This is one of the great and significant Marian pilgrimage sites in Europe, along with LOURDES in the French Pyrenees and FATIMA in Portugal. In contrast to the other two mentioned places, Loreto is not known for apparitions of the Mother of God. Here, pilgrims can be shown something very tangible: Mary's childhood home in Nazareth (Israel). Her parents – who are not named in the biblical scriptures of the New Testament – are mentioned in apocryphal traditions: Saint ANNA and Saint JOACHIM are thus the grandparents of Jesus Christ (their common feast day in the liturgical calendar is July 26th). Probably, Crusaders, as the era of the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land came to an end towards the end of the 13th century, dismantled the building revered in Nazareth and transported it to Europe. However, this very sober assumption is contrasted by a much more interesting legend: According to it, four angels carried out the translation and flew the house across the Mediterranean.

Bridge over the Po in Cremona

The Sanctuary of Santa Lucia is a Catholic place of worship with Baroque architecture, located on Via Santa Lucia in Santa Lucia, a hamlet of Medesano, in the province and diocese of Parma. It is the seat of a parish in the pastoral area of Pedemontana. HISTORY The original place of worship was built in the Middle Ages; the earliest evidence of its existence dates back to 1354, when the Ecclesia Sancte Lucie de Varano Marchionum was mentioned in the Ratio Decimarum of the diocese of Parma among the dependencies of the church of San Giorgio Martire of Varano dei Marchesi, within the jurisdiction of the parish of Fornovo. In 1565, the temple was rebuilt. On May 13, 1607, the church was solemnly consecrated by the Bishop of Fidenza, Giovanni Giorgio Linati, and two years later it was elevated to the status of an independent parish church. Between 1731 and 1794, the place of worship was completely rebuilt in Baroque style; the rectory was also built adjacent to it. On October 21, 1952, the church was elevated to the status of a diocesan sanctuary dedicated to the virgin and martyr Saint Lucy. Around 1960, the church underwent restoration work. SOURCE and other information: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santuario_di_Santa_Lucia_(Medesano)

Splendid church with a Romanesque and Gothic layout, but with later Renaissance and Baroque works inside.

A splendid Renaissance square dominated by the three figures of the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Torrazzo, which offers a panoramic view of the entire Po Valley.

Spectacular Royal Palace, highly appreciated also for its use, which enhances the area.

The Church of San Pietro Apostolo is a Catholic place of worship with neoclassical architecture, located at Strada Chiesa di Baganzola 15 in Baganzola, a hamlet of Parma, in the province and diocese of Parma. It is the seat of a parish within the pastoral area of the city. HISTORY: The original place of worship serving the village of Baganzola was built in the Middle Ages, but in 1180 it was destroyed, along with the village, by the fury of the waters of the nearby Parma River during a disastrous flood. The temple was completely rebuilt in Romanesque style on a single-nave plan, without an apse, developed on an unusual north-south orientation. In 1230, the Chapel of St. Petri de Bazanzola was mentioned in the Capitulum seu Rotulus Decimarum of the Diocese of Parma among the dependencies of the parish of Castelnovo. In the first half of the 15th century, as a result of the increase in the village's population, the medieval place of worship was profoundly modified, rotating the nave's orientation 90° and enlarging the entire structure. In 1564, the church was elevated to an independent parish and in 1685 it was elevated to the rank of honorary archpriest. In 1881, the place of worship underwent restoration work. In 1911, the church was partially renovated based on a design by engineer Massimo Maffei, with the construction of the apse, two chapels on the right and one on the left, adjacent to the façade, and the raising of the 13th-century neo-Romanesque bell tower. In 1933, the building was completely restored, including the removal of the tombstones inside and outside. Between 1966 and 1971, the side altars were removed and the old masonry high altar was replaced with a wooden altar. Between 1994 and 1998, the church was renovated again, with the floors redone, the plumbing installed, and the apse decorated. SOURCE and further information: https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_San_Pietro_Apostolo_(Parma,_Baganzola)

departure from Colorno Palace