Val Luretta valley
Val Luretta valley
Val Luretta is a small valley in the Province of Piacenza formed by the Luretta stream and nestled between the Tidone and Trebbia Valleys.
The morphology of Val Luretta makes it a very tranquil place with hardly any traffic and a very temperate climate without excessive temperature ranges.
Castles open to the public are: Bastardina with its golf club, Castle of Agazzano, Castle of Rezzanello. Other important private castles not open to the public are Castle of Lisignano, Castle of Boffarola and Castle of Momeliano.
In the flatlands of the Val Luretta the famous Trebbia Battle took place. Battle won by Annibale which inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Roman army.
Val Luretta valley includes the following towns: Piozzano and Travo in the hills and Agazzano, Gazzola, and Gragnano Trebbiense in the plain.
The economy of the valley is predominantly agricultural: there are many cattle and pig breeding farms, cheese and wine making. There are numerous restaurants and trattorie which offer the typical local cuisine as well as many farm holidays.
As far as culture and tradition are concerned, ancient dances and music accompanied by the Apennine fife are worth mention.
According to legend, in 303 A.D. the Roman legionnaire Antonino was captured in Travo and decapitated in Piacenza for having refused to offer sacrifices to pagan gods. He was worshiped the following century and became the patron saint of Piacenza along with Saint Giustina. The first cathedral of the city of Piacenza was dedicated to him: the Basilica of Saint Antonino.
The church built in the XI century in Travo is dedicated to Saint Antonino. The XII Century Castle hosts an Archeological Museum inaugurated in 1997 where there are prehistoric findings from the paleolithic to the iron ages . The Archeological Park of Saint Andrea was discovered in 1983 and dates to the Neolithic age , 4000 years B.C. There are remains of houses and huts. The Park offers guided tours upon reservation. Tel. 0523/955022
In Piozzano, a church dedicated to Saint Salvatore was built in the XI century, destroyed by a landslide and rebuilt in 1724. The Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Agazzano was built in 1881. The Church of Saint Lorenzo in Gazzola was built in 1914 while the bell tower of Camillo Guidotti dates to 1922. In Gragnano Trebbiense, after an apparition of the Virgin to a deaf-mute, a fresco of the Virgin and Child was painted on a pillar and a Sanctuary was built. In the crypt there is an excuisite statue of the Virgin carved in Ortisei.
Sources: “Piacenza and its Province” by Leonardo Cafferini, Nuova Litoeffe, Castelvetro Piacentino, 2205
