Attilio Bertolucci is considered one of greatest Italian poets of the twentieth century, a period in which Europe boasted the birth of numerous literary movements and high-caliber poets. His talent led him to establish himself on the world scene as an anti-twentieth-century poet, favoring narrative discourse and free verse, in contrast to the then-dominant hermetic movement.

His art is born from the simplest things like nature, the affection for his land and his family and for this reason his writing appears immediately understandable but actually hides complex and by no means obvious meanings: his verses they are tinged with the colours of nature, they are filled with everyday life and they sing love for Casarola, hamlet of Monchio delle Corti reaching directly to the heart of the reader who is emotionally involved by Bertolucci with his capacity for poetic seduction.

Born in San Prospero di Parma in 1911 and native to of the Parma Apennines, Attilio Bertolucci began writing poetry as a child and had an extraordinary career that led him to pursue his career as a poet, publishing seven collections of poems in his lifetime, which made him famous and made this land proud to boast his illustrious personality among its inhabitants. The poet arrives in Casarola for the first time  time in the 20s, falling madly in love with it so much that it became his home and refuge during the war.

A Casarola the poet encounters the ideal habitat for the development of his creativity and to nourish his spirituality, immersed in the wilderness. Bertolucci's friends over the years have testified that every morning the poet would leave his home and head towards Riana, armed with a notebook where he jotted down his verses, which emerged spontaneously, just as nature grew around him in that pristine territory.

In 1951 he moved to Rome and a feeling of despair and homesickness was born in him, which was reflected in his verses: "I want to go back to live where the grass
it is not like here pure ornament, joy of the eyes
that lasts all year.” (The Grass, 1971)

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

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

A symbol of the Monchio delle Corti area is certainly the bridge of Lugagnano.

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

The bridge is mistakenly called the "Roman Bridge" by local residents, but its construction was actually ordered in 1602 by the Bishop of Parma, Ferdinando Farnese, to allow the passage of traders and travelers to Lunigiana. It was later restored in 1801 by Bishop Adeodato Turchi and later during the Duchy by Duchess Maria Luigia.

Walking across the bridge and stopping in the center to admire the majesty of the surrounding panorama will make your mind travel back in time, imagining distant eras and scenes.

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

Le maestà They are depictions of the Madonna and the Saints protected by sandstone walls and which you can find during your walks along the streets of the villages or even in the woods.
In the Monchio delle Corti area there is a constant presence of them: you can find them in towns like Rigoso, Rimagna, Trefiumi, Pianadetto, Casarola e Vecciatica. The first maestà it was the one built in Pianadetto in 1621, the one in Rigoso It was added during the plague of 1629-1631 as a thank you from the inhabitants for the grace received in having survived the terrible disease and not been infected. The subsequent ones 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 is a must Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso of Rimagna, hamlet of Monchio delle Corti.  Legend has it that here, many centuries ago, the inhabitants of the village of Rimagna They saw a small light shining in the distance and, intrigued, went to the place, but in vain because the light disappeared… until one night it reappeared and landed on a large boulder!
The villagers immediately rushed to the scene but, to their extreme surprise, instead of the little light they found an image of the Madonna on the rock!

From that day on, that large stone became a place of worship and the inhabitants decided to build a small oratory on top of it, which later became the Sanctuary of the Diocese of Parma.

Among the numerous legends of Monchio delle Corti, that of the bafardel is certainly the most famous. No one has ever seen him, but it's said that this very mischievous little man called Bafardel would go into the farmers' stables at night and mess everything up, tangling the horses' manes. In the morning, when the farmers entered the stables, they found their horses with long, untangleable braids!

In this area lives a particular breed of sheep that is now at risk of 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 further improved the quality of its meat through new cross-breeding with Bergamo rams. Today, you can find it on the menus of restaurants in Monchio delle Corti, a typical, zero-mile product!

In the Monchio delle Corti area, you can find the Roman Gradual score, a particular type of musical score dating back to 1546 and consisting of 4 lines and 4 spaces. It differs from traditional scores in terms of the number of lines and the square-shaped notes. The score features the melody of an ancient sacred folk song. Today, the score is kept in the Diocesan Archives of Parma. In Monchio, a group of men, the "Cantor ed Monc," still carries on the ancient tradition of sacred folk singing.

Translation of the last page:

End of the Roman Gradual: abridged for the benefit of poor priests by Fra 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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