What to see in Scandiano? Here is an unmissable itinerary through the streets of the historic centre.
The route starts from Piazza Matteo Maria Boiardo, Scandiano’s oldest and most fascinating square, overlooked, to great scenic effect, by the town’s two main monuments. The first, the Rocca dei Boiardo, is of great historical and cultural value. Built in the 14th century by the Da Fogliano family, today it is named after the Boiardo family, who inhabited it for over 100 years between the 15th and 16th centuries. The entire history of Scandiano and its people took place within it. The second, the Parish Church of St Mary, was built in the first half of the 15th century at the behest of Feltrino Boiardo and designed by an architect from Ferrara. Inside you can admire valuable works of art, including the painting of St Catherine of Alexandria by Bartolomeo Passarotti, the painting of the Madonna delle Grazie by Orazio Talami and the statuary group of the Madonna of the Rosary by Antonio Baiardi.
The itinerary continues along Via Cesare Magati, which stretches between Piazza Boiardo and what was once the entrance gate to the ancient medieval village, today the Clock Tower (or Civica), built by Feltrino Boiardo in the first half of the 15th century. Right at the beginning of the street is Spallanzani House, where the famous biologist from Scandiano was born on 12 January 1729, lived for a long time, made discoveries and set up his rich natural history museum. Declared a National Monument, it presents itself as an urban courtyard promoted to a palace. The house can be visited by appointment or is included in the guided tour of the Rocca dei Boiardo during opening days and hours.
Continuing along Corso Vallisneri, the layout of which is the result of Scandiano’s first significant urban expansion in the first half of the 16th century, we come to Tonarelli Palace, a characteristic Art Nouveau building. The high wall strip on the ground floor is striking for its decoration, the subject of which is a repetition of warlike virile faces framed by luxuriant plant elements. Along Corso Vallisneri is also the Church of San Giuseppe, another religious building worth a visit. It was built in the 16th century but the façade (designed by architect Francesco Iori) and bell tower (attributed to A. Bazani) date back to the 18th century. Among the works inside the church are the painting depicting the Marriage of St Joseph and Mary by F. Miselli, a wooden tabernacle by F.D. Ceccati and the organ adornment by sculptor Giacomo Cocconcelli.
Just beyond the Church of San Giuseppe, also along Corso Vallisneri, stands the Town Hall. The original layout dates back to the 16th century but its current appearance is the result of an intervention completed in 1912. In the palace, two 16th-century frescoes depicting Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of Scandiano, and six plaster busts by sculptor Luigi Mainoni (1804-53) depicting various Scandiano glories can be admired.
Continuing along Corso Vallisneri we reach the porticoed piazza named after Lazzaro Spallanzani (the last stop on the itinerary), considered the city’s drawing room. It was built in the first half of the 16th century at the behest of Giulio Boiardo. In the centre is a statue depicting the illustrious scientist. The monument, inaugurated in 1888, shows the scholar intent on observing a frog through a lens. The work was executed by sculptor Guglielmo Fornaciari, while the frog is the work of sculptor Vasco Montecchi. Among the many buildings overlooking the square, the Manzotti-Carandini house stands out in the north-east corner, where the legendary well of citizenship is said to have been located, turning around which, according to tradition, citizenship of Scandiano was obtained three times.
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