Attilio Bertolucci is considered one of the greatest Italian poets of the 20th century, years when Europe boasted the birth of numerous literary currents and high-caliber poets. His talent led him to establish himself on the world stage as an antinovecentist poet with a preference for narrative discourse and free verse, as opposed to the then dominant hermetic current.

His art comes from the simplest things such as nature, affection for his land and family, and because of this, his writing appears to be immediately understandable but actually hides complex meanings that are not at all obvious: his verses are tinged with the colors of nature, filled with the everyday and they sing the love for Casarola, a hamlet of Monchio delle Corti. reaching directly to the heart of the reader who is emotionally engaged by Bertolucci’s poetic seductiveness.

Born in San Prospero di Parma in 1911 and originally from the Parma Apennines,Attilio Bertolucci began writing poetry as a child and had an extraordinary career that led him to the activity of a poet, publishing in his lifetime as many as seven collections of poems that made him famous and made this land proud to boast among its inhabitants his illustrious personality. The poet arrives in Casarola for the first time in the 1920s’ falling so madly in love with it that it became his home and refuge during the war.

In Casarola the poet meets the ideal habitat for the development of his creativity and the nourishment of his spirituality, immersed in the wilderness. Bertolucci’s friends over the years have testified that every morning the poet would leave his house and head for Riana armed with a notebook where he would jot down his verses, which arose spontaneously, just as nature grew around him in that unspoiled territory.

In 1951 he moved to Rome and despondency and homesickness arose in him, which affected his verses “Io voglio tornare a vivere dove l’erba
non è come qui puro ornamento, gioia degli occhi
che dura l’anno intero.“ (L’erba, 1971)

Today it is possible to visit Casa Bertolucci, which has become part of the Cultural Heritage of Emilia Romagna.

In 2019 the Literary Park was born, dedicated to Attilio and his sons Giuseppe and Bernardo, both famous filmmakers and who, like their father, found inspiration for their artistic masterpieces in Casarola.

A symbol of the Monchio delle Corti area is definitely the Ponte di Lugagnano.

The ancient bridge, which was built entirely of stone and possesses an arched shape, crosses the Cedra stream and was once the only possible passageway to Tuscany.

The Bridge is mistakenly called “Ponte Romano” by local residents, but in fact its construction was not ordered until 1602 by the Bishop of Parma Ferdinando Farnese to allow the transit of traders and wayfarers to Lunigiana. It was then restored in 1801 by Bishop Adeodato Turchi and later in the period of the Duchy by Duchess Maria Luigia.

Walking on the bridge and stopping in the middle admiring the majesty of the surrounding scenery will make you travel through time with your mind, imagining distant eras and scenery.

During your visit to Monchio go in search of the Maestà!

The Maestà are depictions of the Madonna and saints protected by sandstone walls and which you can find during your walks along village streets or even in the woods.
In the territory of Monchio delle Corti there is an assiduous presence of them: you can find them in villages such as Rigoso, Rimagna, Trefiumi, Pianadetto, Casarola and Vecciatica. The first Maestà was the one built in Pianadetto in 1621, the one in Rigoso was added during the plague period of 1629-1631 as a thanksgiving from the inhabitants for the grace they received of having survived the terrible disease and not having been infected; the later ones, on the other hand, were built out of devotion, as a testimony to the great faith and gratitude that has always distinguished the inhabitants of these lands.

If ancient legends fascinate you , a visit to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso di Rimagna, a hamlet of Monchio delle Corti, is a must. Legend has it that here, many centuries ago, the inhabitants of the small village of Rimagna saw a small light shining in the distance and intrigued they went to the place, but in vain because the small light disappeared…until one night it reappeared and rested on a large boulder!
The villagers rushed immediately but, to their extreme amazement, instead of the little light they found the image of Our Lady on the boulder!

From that day on, that large rock became a place of worship, and the inhabitants decided to erect a small oratory on it, which later became the Shrine of the Diocesi of Parma.

Among the many legends of Monchio delle Corti, the one about the bafardel is surely the most famous. No one has ever seen him, but the story goes that this very mischievous little man called a bafardel would go to the peasants’ stables at night and make a mess of everything by twisting the horses’ manes. In the morning when the farmers entered the stables they would find their horses with long and indistrictible braids!

This area is home to a particular breed of sheep now threatened with extinction, the Cornigliese sheep, obtained in 1700′ by the Bourbons to obtain a better quality of wool by crossing local sheep with a prized Spanish Merino breed.
In 1900′ the Cornigliese sheep improved the quality of its meat even more through new crosses with rams from Bergamo. Today you can find it on the menus of restaurants in Monchio delle Corti, a typical and km 0 product!

In the territory of Monchio delle Corti you can find the Roman Gradual sheet music, a particular type of sheet music dated 1546 and formed by 4 lines and 4 spaces, thus differing from traditional sheet music in the number of lines and the notes with a square shape. The melody of an ancient sacred folk song is given in the score. Today the score is kept in the Diocesan Archives in Parma. In Monchio there is still a group of men who carry on the very ancient tradition of sacred-popular singing, the “Cantor ed Monc.”

Translation of the last page:

End of the Roman Gradual: abbreviated for the benefit of poor priests by Brother Pietro Lianciarino of Urbino.
Printed in Venice by the heirs of Lucantonio Giunta of Florence. In the month of September. 1546.
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