Leonardo da Vinci called Piacenza a “land of passage.” Built at a strategic point, it was and still is a place of passage for those travelling through the north of the peninsula.

Historically, it saw the development of important markets and the emergence of prominent merchant families. At the same time, it became a city of hospitality for pilgrims travelling from the north to Rome or to Brindisi to embark for the Holy Land.

Its strategically advantageous geographical position aroused the interest of the powerful, who tried to seize it at various times in history: from the Visconti to the popes, the Farnese, the Bourbons, and the Austrians.

A large market was held in the area surrounding the Gothic Palace, on which the marks of the Piacenza measures can still be seen today.

A short distance away, the route south of the medieval urban centre of the Via Francigena winds its way.
In these places, the characters and cultures that built today's city have intertwined, and the tour explores this through visits to places and the telling of stories and anecdotes.