Guastalla

In Pieve di Guastalla stands the 10th-century Basilica della Pieve, the oldest religious building in the Guastalla area, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

• Georgica - mid-April
  A festival celebrating the land, water and work in the fields. A market showcasing traditional varieties of fruit, flowers, vegetables and seeds; an exhibition of farmyard animals; and a market featuring typical and forgotten organic food and wine products.
• Lost Plants and Animals (Piante e animali perduti) - fourth weekend of September
  Market exhibition of ancient varieties of fruit, flowers, vegetables, seeds and breeds of farm animals. Typical and forgotten organic food and wine products. Craft products, entertainment, traditional games, talks and workshops.
• Santa Caterina Festival - fourth weekend of November
  Market stalls, funfair, market exhibition, shows, entertainment, exhibitions, display of agricultural machinery.
• La Gnoccata - every three years at the end of May
  A traditional festival dating back to the 19th century, featuring a historical parade and a huge gnocchi festival.

The banks of the Po River and Viale Po are perfect for walking or cycling, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Reggio Emilia lowlands.

Guastalla has its roots in the Etruscan era, as evidenced by finds of pottery, metal objects and grave goods.
Its location along the Po River has always encouraged trade and commerce in the Po Valley, confirming the area’s central role even in Roman times, as shown by traces of the centuriation system and photogrammetric surveys.

The town appears in historical documents as early as 864, when Emperor Louis II gifted it to his wife Angilberga.
During the Middle Ages, under the Canossa family, the settlement around the Church of Pieve grew in importance thanks to its proximity to fertile farmland along the Po River, becoming a strategic transit hub.
Its significance is evidenced by the two councils held in the Church of Pieve: in 1095 with Pope Urban II and in 1106 with Paschal II.

With the arrival of the Torelli counts in 1406, Guastalla began to turn into a structured town: noble palaces, a castle, churches and the main square took shape, defining the urban layout that still characterizes the town today.
In 1539, Ferrante Gonzaga, Marshal to Charles V, purchased the town from Countess Ludovica Torelli, marking the beginning of its golden age.

Under the Gonzaga dynasty, Guastalla became a highly prestigious Renaissance centre: architects such as Giunti and Volterra and artists such as Guercino and the Campi contributed to its beauty, while poets such as Tasso and Guarini celebrated its charm.
The town also stood out for its strategic military role, although the attacks of 1689 deprived Guastalla of its walls and fortress, marking the beginning of its political decline.
It came then under the rule of the Bourbons of Parma, Napoleon and Marie Louise, before becoming, with the Risorgimento, one of Italy’s modern municipalities.
In the 20th century, Guastalla evolved from an agricultural town into an industrial and craft centre, while preserving its traditions linked to the land: wine, livestock farming and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

The name Guastalla derives from Wardistall, meaning ‘guard post’: originally, the town served a strategic function as an outpost against the Mantua-based Byzantines.

Altitude
25 m
Postcode
42016
Weekly market
Wednesday and Saturday
Patron saint
Saint Catherine (November 25)
Hamlets
San Giacomo, San Girolamo, San Martino, San Rocco, Tagliata