Fontanellato (Emilia Romagna)

Fontanellato is a small town in the province of Parma, in northern Italy. The town was built up in the 15th century around the moated and fortified house of the Sanvitale family, the Rocca Sanvitale, on the borders of the domain of the Dukes of Parma. The house was occupied by the family until 1951, when it was sold to the commune. One notable feature of the Rocca Sanvitale is a room which serves as a large 'Camera Oscura' in which a small hole acts as a lens causing an image of an outside scene to be projected inside the room. The ancient village of Fontanellato preserves various monuments of interest: the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, built in 1514, which draws all year numerous pilgrims, the Oratory of the Assunta with the wooden sacristy of 1720 work of Giulio Seletti and decorations by Sebastiano Galeotti, the former stables Sanvitale, Villa Gandini and the Botanical Park.