Tour through the villages around Scandiano

Information

42019 Scandiano

Route description

Arceto
The place name Arceto first appeared on a map dated 833. The castle in the centre of Arceto was originally built by the bishops of Reggio Emilia in the second half of the 10th century. Since 1414, the fortunes of the castle and its court have closely followed those of Scandiano. The castle has had been pillaged, destroyed and reconstructed on several occasions. The most interesting surviving feature of the castle is the grand staircase, with its wall paintings and 18th-century statues. In the courtyard, you can still see the original ice-house. The current building of the Church of Arceto dates back to the 15th century and has undergone much renovation and remodelling work over the centuries. Inside the church, there are a number of interesting paintings, including L’Assunzione (the Assumption), Cristo Morto (the dead Body of Christ), and the Madonna Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows). In Chiozza, you can see the Mulino del Poncino watermill, which was still in use in the 1970s. The mill is made in local stone and has a square-plan body and three water-powered vertical wheels. In Chiozza, you can also visit the Church of San Giacomo Maggiore, whose current structure dates back to the mid-17th century and which contains some interesting paintings. The complex called “la Tomba” (the tomb), structured around a quadrangular courtyard, is of considerable historical-architectural interest. The structural plan connecting the various buildings calls to mind the closed-court layout typical of the Po valley style. Overlooking the road is an oratory, which, like other buildings in the area, dates back to the 18th century.

Iano
The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The façade has a sloping roof with corner pilaster strips and upper pediment. The bell-tower rises separately on the northern side.
A nineteenth-century shrine set on a pilaster is situated along the road leading to the church.
Two turreted houses dated around the 16th century, and the Mill which was once powered by the waters of the Tresinaro river are also particularly interesting. A building complex known as Castello Dondena Bagnoli stands out from the hilltops. The structure, which dates back to the second half of the 19th century and illustrates the return to medieval taste of the time can only be seen from the outside.

Ventoso
The Castle of Torricella was built after 1335 by the Fogliano family. Next to the portal, we can still see the deep marks where the drawbridge was hinged and a small loophole. The main body of the castle, which can only be seen from the outside, is split into three levels and culminates in a tower with swallowtail battlements. In the village of Ventoso you can still see the ruins of the Castello del Gesso, i.e. the gypsum castle named after the presence of this mineral in the area. The Church of Ventoso near the castle is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The façade of the church is tripartite with a stone rose window. Following the old path that leads to the church and ends at the Monte delle Tre Croci (Three Crosses Hill) you can see the 19th century building complex called the gypsum and lime kiln known as Fornace di Gesso e Calce. Although the buildings are now in disrepair, the surviving chimneys provide an interesting testimony of the local rural architecture. The Three Crosses Hill or Monte Calvario (349 m above sea level) takes its name from the three crosses symbolising redemption which are believed to have been on the hill since before the 17th century. The citizens of San Ruffino traditionally used to hold processions to the hill during Holy Week and those who lived in the nearby parishes were only allowed to join the procession if they were granted permission to do so by the parish priest of San Ruffino.

How to get there

Scandiano

By car
From A1 motorway Reggio Emilia exit, take SS467 ring-road towards Scandiano-Sassuolo;
From Modena, take SS486 "Passo delle Radici" road towards Sassuolo, then at Veggia take SS467 road towards Scandiano-Reggio Emilia.

By train
There are local trains for Reggio-Sassuolo which leave from Reggio Emilia Station

By bus
From Piazzale Europa bus n. 46 line Reggio E. - Baiso (Cerredolo) - Carpineti - C. Monti