Leonardo da Vinci called Piacenza a “land of passage.” Built at a strategic point, it was and still is a transit point for those passing through the northern part of the peninsula.

Historically, it saw the development of important markets and the emergence of prominent merchant families. At the same time, it became a city of hospitality for pilgrims traveling from the north to Rome or to Brindisi to embark for the Holy Land.

The geographically strategic location aroused the interest of the powerful, who sought to seize it at various points in history: from the Visconti to the popes, from the Farnese to the Bourbons, and to the Austrians.

A large market was held in the area surrounding the Gothic Palace, on which the marks of the Piacenza measures can still be seen today.

Not far away, the Via Francigena route winds its way south of the medieval city center.
In these places, interconnections developed between the people and cultures that built the city we know today, which the tour explores through visits to various sites and the telling of stories and anecdotes.