Gualtieri, small Renaissance capital situated near to the main embankment of the river Po, it’s a land rich in historical heritage and a major work of the late 16th-century architecture, and city planning. The name “Gualtieri” first makes its appearece as “Castrum Vultureno” and then “Castrum Waltierii”(meaning Gualtiero’s fortress) under the Longobard domination.

From 1560 to 1635 Gualtieri was a marquisate ruled by the Bentivoglio dynasty, who realized the “new city” faithful to the schemes of fine late Mannerism and strictly committed to the rules of perspective, thus originating a gigantic theater scene to spectacularly magnify the marquess’ power.

Gualtieri is still today a pristine jewel full of marvels to discover: Palazzo Bentivoglio (Bentivoglio Palace), Museo Ligabue (the Ligabue Museum), the Tirelli-Trappetti collection, Teatro Sociale (the Theatre), Chiesa della Madonna della Neve e dell’Annunziata (Churches dedicated to Saint Mary), Oratorio della Concezione, Chiesa di Sant’Andrea (Saint Andrew’s Church), Villa Malaspina, the Torrione pumping station, Palazzo Greppi (the Greppi Palace), Ponte delle Portine (a bridge), the Internees’ Island (Isola degli Internati) within the floodplain’s waters, Porto Vecchio (the Old Harbor) and its Capanni (cabins, suspended on poles).

Its most recent history has Gualtieri represented by two pivotal figures, significant both on national and international levels: Antonio Libague, an italian painter and sculptor among the most significant of the XX century, an untouchable artist whose life isn’t inferior to any of his masterworks; and Umberto Tirelli, who was born and lived in Gualtieri, the founder of the Torelli Costumi industry in Rome.

 

Visit Gualtieri - Tourist Guide (pdf)