Between Sardinia and the Po river: A day in Piacenza

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The pleasure that the city: that is how Piacenza, starting with its name, which is, in fact, from the Latin Placentia. And 'with this excellent premise that we arrive here in a beautiful New Year's Day, dedicated to this city of art so close to Milan, both geographically and culturally, even if he belongs to Emilia Romagna. We are in the Po Valley, but coming here, we could see from afar the first chains of Colli Piacentini, that somehow anticipate the Ligurian Apennines mountains. The first inhabitants of this land, inhabited since ancient times, were of the Ligurian tribes, followed by the Etruscans and Celts, to the founding of the city by the Romans, which occurred in 218 BC
Piacenza is located on the right bank of the Po, and the river, as well as having played in the history of great importance in terms of logistic, economic and defense, for Piacenza is also an emotional bond with their city. In "Little World. Don Camillo, "says John Guareschi, parochial with imagination," the Po river, the only respect that exists in Italy, begins at Piacenza. " He adds: "The fact that both of Piacenza in the same river, does not mean anything."
Piacenza is often called the City of Palaces, thanks to the presence of many stately homes and civilians, including "Gothic", the building that houses the Municipality. Piacenza is a very livable city, full of gardens, as well as a long series of monuments that bear witness to the era of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. We started our walk from the Duomo to continue with a visit to the Basilica of St. Anthony, the patron saint. This Romanesque church built by St. Victor, the first bishop of Piacenza, in 1183 met the delegates of the Lombard League and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to sign the preliminaries of the Peace of Constance. The Church keeps inside the remains of Christian martyr Antonino, in addition to the five paintings of De Longe, depicting scenes from the life of the saint.
Piacenza has given birth to numerous personalities of art and culture, from politics and writer Giorgio Armani Melchiorre Gioia and players up to Simone and Filippo Inzaghi. About elegance, beauty and myths of the sport, we took the opportunity to visit the museum and the Vespa scooter, a gold mine for fans of the genre. Of course we do not even neglected the most important museums of the city, such as the imposing Palazzo Farnese, which trace the history of art from the Middle Ages, and the Museum of Natural History, which also contains an interesting herb garden and a nineteenth-century ornithological collection .
And if, as Guareschi, Po begins in Piacenza, we have been faithful to this idea too nice in the choice of the restaurant to dine: Restaurant Po, Via Nino Bixio. We had booked to stay here before you even leave, because we wanted to celebrate the birthday of our friend with one of the cakes that look like works of art, chef Michela Oppo.
"For us the customer should feel perfectly at ease, as if it were his home. My job is to make everyone happy with the dishes I prepare. People know this and trust me, because I am sure that I would never give them a product that is not very good, "he says with great enthusiasm Michela. After working successfully in his homeland, the beautiful Sardinia, now the young and talented chefs will delight guests with his creations as well as being delicious, they are also beautiful to see. "Before you eat with your eyes, and only after you taste," says another thought of his philosophy. In the hall, her husband Marino welcomes us, and we start to make the acquaintance of the freshest seafood in the restaurant. The menu, they explain, it changes every day, according to the catch. We begin with a tasting that includes three different specialties: the cuttlefish carbonara, accompanied by currants and wild berries, sliced ??marinated salmon-scented flowers, served on the reclining in rose petals, and the rose that eats together to fish, and lobster with cream of shrimp in bacon croissant Colonnata. This is just the starters, but we seem to be a colorful spectacle of taste, which continues with the spaghetti with sea urchin and crab with noodles. We follow these first by a nice grilled fish and the time with fresh tomato, basil and saffron. Some of us even a taste of the marinated swordfish and shrimp in a crust of Parmesan cheese with sprouts. And after so many delicacies, we reach the climax of the festival: a fantastic chocolate cake, with five types of creams!
Guareschi was right, but perhaps the opposite: Piacenza, in the sense of the city's culinary delights, which starts from the Po, in the sense of the restaurant.

Frances Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

www.comune.Piacenza.it
www.ristorantepo.it

Po Restaurant
Via Nino Bixio, 6 Piacenza
0523/321680