Villastrada
A bit of history
Mons Antonio Parazzi, High Priest of Viadana in the 1800s, only historian
of our area, described Villastrada : ‘On the bank of the River Po, lower
than Dosolo, existed the ‘Villa Sacca’ with an ancient parish by the name of
St Agata. In 1292 Sacca was an autonomous parish and sent its deputies
to Dosolo for the general meetings of all the neighbouring parishes.
In 1531 a huge flood from the Po river engulfed a large part of Sacca,
including the church, forcing the parishioners to find refuge in
neighbouring Villa della Strada “in Stratis ad Padum” translated as ‘ on the
road that leads to the Po’.
The new parish then became populated by the families from the 2 nearby
villages of Cavallara and Dosolo and by 1599 there were 750 people, in 1702
it became an important church by request of the rector Andrea Pazzini
with the intervention of the Duke of Guastalla and the bishop, Litta, who
decreed, on 11th March 1745, the privilege of being independent from the
common church and received the “Olii” from the Cathedral at Cremona.
Strolls for tourists
Following the old adage “post prandium deambulare.” From the Piazza (1)
walk slowly towards the church, but stop at the crossroads. Now is the
time to use your imagination!
Only a few decades ago, where there is now a private paved area there
used to be il Mot (2) - a wall mounted pulpit with 6 or 7 steps and a
balcony, where the regional Power That Be would address the public. This is
the central point of the village, where the 5 main roads all converge.
Getting rid of ‘il Mot’ was the first ‘sin’ of Villastrada as it can only be
recreated nowadays within your imagination.
Make your way towards The Church (3) (dates from the 1700s) . Have a
look inside if you desire. It is big and dark, but beautiful and well worth a
visit. If you enter through the little gate at the side you will find yourself
in a green courtyard known as “Il Sagrato Vecchio”. Children will enjoy the
play of acoustics in this courtyard. Stand on the steps at the far end,
whisper your orders to them and they will obey! Or ask them to recite a
poem. The climb to the top of the tower is not advised as the steps are
dangerous, which is a shame not to be able to appreciate this tower which
dominates the vast surrounding fields and allows you to see the internal
labyrinth type corridors, but above all you will feel like a bird from the
high tower at Luzzara - also known as the tower of Zavattini - as he would
fly from Rome to Villastrada, with a group of writers, editors, journalists
and artists, purely for its restaurant.
Rejoin the ‘Mot’ road and you will see the beautiful old corner of the
village. You are now on Via Gino Lupi and are behind the hotel. Keep going
straight on.
On your right you will see the Corte Ghirardina (4) a beautiful courtyard
from the 1500s. You are now walking slightly higher than the main part of
the village and parallel to, what is now, the main street. Here you will pass a
castle, but it’s not Medieval. You will see a slope on your left, but keep
going straight and you will see the remains of the “ Corte Folino” (5) the
origins of the old village Sacca. At the top of the argine (embankment),
after passing some sweet smelling bushes turn right as far as Boscone and
you will see rows of poplar trees (that used to bushes too) along a peaceful,
unforgettable walk. Descending on the left you will see 2 courtyards. This
is Garagne (6). Take a look from the front. The place on the right is called
La Saccana and dates from the 1700s. The other on the left is from the
1400s and is a Gonzaga style building where people used to go hunting. This
is the oldest building in the village. Just picture a dance on the courtyard
with accordion music!
Follow the road and cross “La Bass” (the lower quarter), at the crossroads,
on the right, you will find the second ‘sin’ “Il Teatro Sociale” (7)
(a theatre dating from 1910). This died a death due to neglect, but seems
that the walls still sing. A private association is now trying to save this
building and restore it.
Let’s go back up the main street. There is an old peoples’ home on your
left. In the main square there is the old school building which remains
empty now, apart from a nursery and nobody knows what will become of
this building. If you have time (this is good in spring) you can cycle to the
sanctuary in Alberone (8) dating from 1665, which is only a km away. This
route will immerse you in the most peaceful and indescribably beautiful
countryside.
Back in Villastrada, from the main square go straight across the main road
(Via Roma) as far as the “dzura” (the most ancient part of this area )
where you can see the original small houses, lower than the bank, on the
road which would once take you to Dosolo. Here is where the River Po winds
its bizarre path. The main riverbank is higher up, where, according to the
season, you can see marshes and the 2 slopes which were mentioned earlier.
The river has moved further from the village over the years and although
it is only visible now when it floods, the locals know how to reach it via the
poplar lined paths.
If you have enjoyed your visit, please come back again…
There will always be somebody from the Proloco, or other locals, who will
be willing to show you around.