What is Canossa known for?

January 1077 penance of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV before Pope Gregory VII, three days in the snow at the castle gate. The Tuscan countess who ruled most of northern Italy from this hill until her death in 1115, ally of Gregory VII and Urban II. White grape native to the Canossa hills, vinified still and sparkling under the Colli di Scandiano e Canossa DOC.

Canossa is a comune in the province of Reggio nell'Emilia, Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, about 33 kilometers from Reggio Emilia.

Emilia-Romagna · Reggio nell'Emilia

Canossa

The Reggiano commune holding the ruined castle where Henry IV stood three days in the snow before Pope Gregory VII in 1077.

33 km / 21 mi

Nearest hub (Reggio Emilia)

3,759

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Borgo dei Borghi

Why come

Canossa sits on the Apennine slope thirty kilometers south of Parma and twenty-five southwest of Reggio Emiliaat the seat in Ciano d'Enza. The commune is named for the ruined fortress on a white limestone outcrop eight kilometers east, built before 950 by Adalbert Atto of Lucca and held by Matilde di Canossa until her death in 1115. The Walk to Canossa happened here: in January 1077 the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV stood three days bare-headed in the snow at the castle gate, waiting for Pope Gregory VII to lift his excommunication. The fortress was destroyed by Reggio Emilia in 1255 and is now the Museo Nazionale Naborre Campanini. The commune was called Ciano d'Enza until 1992, when it took the older name back. Vineyards on the surrounding slopes produce Lambrusco and the Spergola white grape, and the path between Ciano and the castle ruin remains the Sentiero Matilde.

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Gallery

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Known for

Castello di Canossa
Tenth-century fortress on a white sandstone outcrop, destroyed in 1255 and now a ruin housing the Museo Nazionale Naborre Campanini.
Castello di Rossena
Best-preserved of the Matildic castles, built in the tenth century on volcanic rock to guard the western approach to Canossa.
Torre di Rossenella
Square watchtower a kilometer from Rossena, built on a separate basalt pinnacle as a forward observation post for the Canossa system.
Sentiero Matilde
Marked footpath linking Ciano d'Enza to the castle ruin, climbing through vineyards and oak woods over four kilometers.
Museo Nazionale Naborre Campanini
Small museum at the castle site, holding medieval sculpture fragments, ceramics, and documents recovered from the Matildic fortifications.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June brings green hills, Spergola flowering, and clear views from the castle ruin down to the Po plain. September and October dry the slopes into gold for the harvest of Lambrusco and Spergola, the busiest weekends at the Matildic castles. July and August touch thirty-four degrees and the path up from Ciano empties between two and five. Winter is quiet, with the castle ruin closed weekdays and most agriturismi shut from January to mid-March. The Corteo Storico Matildico in late May, when costumed riders cross from Quattro Castella to Canossa, is the calendar event locals follow. Mid-week stays in May or October give the best light on the white sandstone.