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Walk to the Este delights

From the Reggio Emilia town centre to the Rivalta Palace (Via dei Combattenti) and beyond, through Corso Garibaldi, Via Ariosto, Viale Umberto I and the Parco del Crostolo; it is a pleasant walk that takes you through the landscape into this part of the town.
Reggio Emilia
Walk to the Este delights

Information

Route across the town centre and the next outskirts.

Route characteristics

Length: 12 km.
Travelling time: 2.30 hours.
Difficulty level: easy.

Historical notes

The Rivalta Royal Palace is a historical residence located in the village of Rivalta, a few kilometres away from the town centre of Reggio Emilia. It belonged to Duchess Carlotta d’Orléans and her husband, Prince Francesco, son of Duke Rinaldo I of Este. It was actually the Duke, in 1722, who decided to have this “Little Versailles” built, first commissioning the work to Ferraroni, then to Bolognini. The construction of the palace ended around 1733, while there were continuous decorations in the park in the following years.

Between 1740 and 1760 the palace enjoyed its greatest period of splendour, with grand festivals that had its harmonious architecture and landscape as a background. The decay of the palace started in 1796 with the fall of the Este dominion. Now only the south wing remains, that was once intended for administrative and service personnel, but it is still possible to see the echo of the splendour that the princes Francesco d'Este and Duchess d'Orléans wanted to recreate for the court: a place that recalled the Parisian magnificence.

Route description

The itinerary starts from Via Ariosto, continues to Porta Castello and runs along Viale Umberto I, the "stradone" wanted in 1788 by the Duke of Este to reach the "Reggia". The avenue was flanked by rows of poplars and mulberry trees and parallel paths for walking, two large fountains and small obelisks were built. It thus became a place of recreation for the people of Reggio of the time. Once you reach the San Pellegrino bridge, also dating back to 1788, the Crostolo cycle / pedestrian path begins today, from which you can easily reach the historic residence near Rivalta. The track, which can be covered on foot or by bicycle, is located inside d

The itinerary starts from Via Ariosto, continues to Porta Castello and runs along Viale Umberto I, the "long street" wanted in 1788 by the Duke of Este to reach the "Royal Palace". The avenue was flanked by rows of poplars and mulberry trees and parallel paths for walking, then two big fountains and small obelisks were built. It thus became a recreation place for the residents of the time. The San Pellegrino bridge, also dating back to 1788, is now the start of the Crostolo bicycle-pedestrian path, from which you can easily reach the historic residence at Rivalta. The path, which can be covered on foot or by bicycle, is located inside the Crostolo park, also called Parco delle Caprette (Caprette Park), that extends for 600 hectares along both the torrent banks with rows of white poplar and several other trees. The walk ends up in the two other residences of the Duchy: Villa d'Este, also known as Vasca di Corbelli (Corbelli Basin), and the Rivaltella private villa.

The route coincides with the town junction (4th stage) of the Matildic Route of the Holy Face, hiking route retracing the places of Grand Countess Matilde di Canossa; this route is 285 kilometres long and crosses, in 11 stages (with 3 variants) the area of Italian regions (Lombardy, Emilia, Tuscany) rich in culture, traditions and landscapes.

  • Via Ludovico Ariosto (Piazza Roversi)
  • Porta Castello
  • San Pellegrino Bridge
  • Caprette Park (Crostolo Park)
  • Rivalta Royal Palace
  • Villa d'Este / Vasca di Corbelli
  • Rivaltella Villa