Several miles from Piacenza on the green hills of Val d’Arda visitors can see red brick and crenellated roofs of medieval borgo almost like from fairy tales. 
The town is enchanted, but not in Disneyland fairy tale buildings style, it looks almost exactly like in Middle Ages, when pilgrims were travelling following Via Francingena route from Cantenbury to Rome. Here the were crossing the Plains of river Po looking for shelter at the bottom of Apennines. They were entering the borgo through the Porta Monteguzzo to get lost in narrow streets between the red brick buildings, crenelated towers and rooftops of antique churches. Near Palazzo di Duca (once residence of Sforza today private property ) they were passing by the Torrione Farnese (Farnese Tower) remodelled after Michelangelo’s design in 16th century. Palazzo hid the gate to the very centre of the town, where the pilgrims could pray in collegiata id Santa Maria Assunta or refresh their body in one of the restaurants around the square today called piazza del Municipio. Near collegiata there is a building of Palazzo del Podestà, where in Medieval Times the group of citizens (podesta ) govern the town, and today is the office of Town Council.
The nicest room in the palace featuring the ceiling with old frescoes is reserved for civil wedding ceremonies, and located near the main entrance enoteca provides wine for long hours of tasting, especially that the whole area around Castell’ Arquato is known for producing renowned wine, like Monterosso Val d’Arda.
To get more cultural after necessary liquid tasting tourists can visit any of four museums, which are rather small in size, but with interesting items on display.
The Hospital of Santo Spirito, built to accommodate the incoming pilgrims ( nice sixteenth century frescoes ) is now the home of the Geological Museum with collection of geological formations and fossils from area near Piacenza.
Rocca Viscontea (Visconti castle) bursts the rooms of Museum of Medieval Life equipped with new multimedia presentation, sound and lights describing life in the past.
Another museum one can find inside of the house of Luigi Illica, the place, where he was born and created some most unforgettable librettos for Puccini’s operas.
Museo della Collegiata in the cloisters adjacent to the church preserved many of sacred art treasuries like 11th century bronze crucifix and painting by Alessandro Magnasco.
The oldest building in the town is baptistery of San Giovanni from beginning of 11th century, but the place has the traditions reaching back to 4tn century BC. That was the time, when Roman patrician Caio Torquato founded the military stronghold, named then Castrum Torquati. The stronghold was built in the strategic location between ancient town Velleia and Piacenza.
In 8th century the castle with surrounding buildings went into the hands of noble families. Castell’Arquato witnessed clans of Visconti, Sforza, Farni and Bourbon to finally came under jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
[photo courtesy of Anto Fuga]
