Museo Rocca Sanvitale
14th-century fortress with a moat in Fontanellato, housing a museum with furnished rooms, the Saletta di Diana e Atteone by Parmigianino and a 19th-century camera obscura.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato was built in the 14th century on a building dating from 1124 and is surrounded by a moat fed by spring water. The Sanvitale counts lived there for six centuries; in 1948 the castle passed to the Comune di Fontanellato and became a museum.
The jewel of the Rocca is the Saletta di Diana e Atteone, frescoed in 1523–1524 by Francesco Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, for Count Galeazzo Sanvitale and his wife Paola Gonzaga. It is one of the artist’s early masterpieces. The vault is decorated with putti against a pergola background; at the centre an opening to the sky and a round mirror bear the motto “Respice finem”. The fourteen lunettes below depict the myth of Diana and Actaeon, taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
The piano nobile (main floor) contains frescoed and furnished rooms, including the Sala delle Armi, Sala da Pranzo, Loggiato Nord, Sala del Biliardo, Sala da Ricevimento, Camera Nuziale and Galleria degli Antenati. In the tower, a 19th-century camera obscura with a prism and mirror projects the square onto three screens; it is described as the only one still working in Italy.
Highlights
- Saletta di Diana e Atteone by Parmigianino (1523–1524)
- 19th-century camera obscura in the tower
- 14th-century fortress surrounded by a moat
- Furnished rooms on the piano nobile and the Galleria degli Antenati
- Operated by
- Comune di Fontanellato
- Visitors per year
- approx. 55,000
Admission & discounts
Admission prices are not published on the pages consulted; tickets are bought through the municipality’s online ticket shop. The ground floor and the Parmigianino room can be visited freely.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly: not available
The museum offers workshops for schools and, around Halloween, the multimedia treasure hunt “Operazione fantasma” and family shows. Pushchairs are not admitted.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Buses from Parma and Fidenza (timetables at www.tep.pr.it); the nearest railway stations are Parma and Fidenza.
The motorhome area is on Via XXIV Maggio in Fontanellato.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The furnished rooms on the piano nobile can only be visited on a guided tour; the ground floor and the Parmigianino room can also be visited freely. Guided tours run at fixed times: from November to March at 10:15, 11:45, 14:45 and 16:00 on weekdays; from April to October also at 17:15; on Sundays and public holidays depending on attendance. Individual visitors are invited to book through the ticket shop; for groups and school parties, booking is compulsory at rocca@fontanellato.org. Pushchairs are not admitted; dogs are only admitted if carried. |
