5 things to see in Reggio Emilia

Located along the Via Emilia, just over 10 kilometers from our farmhouse, Reggio Emilia is a city rich in history, culture and traditions. But in step with the times. This is demonstrated by the modern sculptures around the center and the majestic infrastructures that have redesigned the Reggio Emilia skyline. No less fascinating is the historical-artistic heritage that can be discovered by walking through its numerous squares. Reggio Emilia offers a potentially endless list of things to see. We have selected 5, which you absolutely cannot miss during your visit to the city.

The Mediopadana AV station

Reggio Emilia promises great things right from the motorway, when suddenly the green of the Lower Po Valley is broken by the white of the Mediopadana AV station, the only stop between Milan and Bologna on the high-speed line of the railway network. It is a futuristic construction designed by the famous Spanish-born Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava. Listed among the most beautiful in the world by Domus magazine, it is entirely made of white painted steel and glass, and is composed of a repeated succession of 13 portals that alternate generating a succession of 457 moving waves. The same architect was also responsible for the 3 bridges located on the A1 motorway, magnificent works of architecture and engineering, in which structural strength and scenographic effect merge.

The Tricolor Museum

Reggio Emilia is known as the City of the Tricolor because on 7 January 1797 inside the Municipal Palace, in what was renamed the Sala del Tricolore, the representatives of the free cities of Reggio, Modena, Bologna and Ferrara met to proclaim the Republic Cispadana, adopting the banner which later became the national flag. The Sala del Tricolore today is the seat of the City Council and can be visited. In the rooms adjacent to the historic hall, the Tricolore Museum has been set up, which collects documents and memorabilia relating to the history of the Italian flag, as well as the important group of works from the “Ninety artists for a flag” project. The historical documents are accompanied by modern audiovisual tools that facilitate reading.

The Basilica of San Prospero

A few steps from the Tricolore Museum is the Basilica of San Prospero, one of the oldest churches in Reggio Emilia as well as one of the most important examples of Emilian Baroque. Dedicated to the Patron Saint of the city, it was built in the 10th century and rebuilt by Luca Corti and Matteo Fiorentini between 1514 and 1523, while the imposing façade was designed by Giovan Battista Cattani in the 18th century. At the edge of the churchyard there are six statues of lions sculpted in red Verona marble by the Reggio Emilia sculptor Gaspare Bigi at the beginning of the 16th century. The interior is rich in works of art, among which the extraordinary cycle of frescoes by the Bolognese artist Camillo Procaccini depicting the Last Judgment and the precious inlaid wooden choir from the 16th century.

The Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara

Remaining on the religious theme, the Basilica of the Beata Vergine della Ghiara, one of the most important Marian sanctuaries in Italy, is undoubtedly also worth a visit. Located along the ancient Corso della Ghiara, today Corso Garibaldi, it was built thanks to the offerings of the faithful from Reggio following a miracle which occurred on 29 April 1596 in favor of a boy who had been deaf and dumb since birth who, after having prayed intensely to the image of the Madonna , he acquired speech and hearing. The architectural project was proposed by Alessandro Balbo from Ferrara and implemented by Francesco Pacchioni from Reggio Emilia. Inside it is possible to admire precious works of art created by the best artists of the seventeenth century in Emilia: Ludovico Carracci, Guercino, Lionello Spada, Alessandro Tiarini, Carlo Bononi and Luca Ferrari.

The Palace of Museums

Finally, for no reason in the world can you miss the Palazzo dei Musei, a former Franciscan convent which has housed the Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia since 1830. Redeveloped in 2021 by architect Italo Rota, it houses collections and collections relating to archeology (Roman Mosaics, Chierici Museum of Paleethnology, Portico dei Marmi-Roman section, Museum of Regium Lepidi), ethnography, art history (Gallery of Marbles – medieval section, medieval mosaics), natural history (Spallanzani Museum, zoological, anatomical, botanical, geo-mineralogical and paleontological collections) and the history of the city. On the facade of via Secchi the work Curiosa Meravigliosa stands out, a gigantic photomosaic composed of over 12,000 shots collected by the artist Joan Fontcuberta together with images from the museum collections which depicts a peacock.

Photo Mediopadana AV station © Italo Treno | Tricolore Museum © Touring Club | Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ghiara © Monasteri Emilia-Romagna | Palace of Museums © Musei Civici Reggio Emilia