Fontanellato’s history

The town’s plan is dated back to the Middle Age despite of the later restoration made during the XVIth century (witnessed by many decorations of many façade).
In fact the Sanvitale always kept the urban structure of the town as shows a proclamation made by the count Alfonso Sanvitale, who ordered not to destroy any building (12th March 1606). The earliest map of Fontanellato is dated from the XVIIth and the XVIIIth century and is included in a collection of Alessandro Spaccio (a collector of planimetric survey) preserved in the “Biblioteca Palatina” of Parma. It shows how the town developed around the perimeter of the castle. In fact the castle represents the principal monument which dominates the surrounding urban structure thanks to its high position with arcades and buildings around.

Fontanellato and the Padana Lowland

Fontanellato is situated in the Padana Plain, it lies 100 miles away from Milan and Bologna among the rivers Taro and Stirone. The flora and the fauna of Fontanellato are typical of the Lowland. The area is dominated by extensive cultivation of forage, grain and maize, sugar beets and tomatoes. Springs are characteristic of the local natural environment creating a peculiar humid climate. Here there is the typical production of the Parmesan cheese world-wide considered as the "King of the cheeses".