Cozzano
A visit to Cozzano: history, monuments, and places of interest
If you're planning a trip to the province of Parma, you can't miss a visit to Cozzano, one of the most charming villages in Langhirano. In this text, I will guide you through the discovery of this location, telling you about its history, its monuments, and the most interesting places to visit.
Physical geography
Cozzano is located on the left side of the Parma valley, just 6.74 km from the provincial capital. One of the main natural features characterizing the area is Mount Pozzo, rich in cold springs. The Pineta di Cozzano extends at the edges of the town and continues on the nearby mountains of Arvasina and Corno.
History
The history of Cozzano is very ancient and dates back at least to the medieval period. The first mention of the Cociano village dates back to 1005, when the Church of the Saints Bartolomeo and Martino of Langhirano was mentioned in the Ordo Archipresbiterorum Plebium of the bishop of Parma, Sigifredo II.
The castle of Cozzano was first mentioned in 1035 when the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II the Salic assigned it to the bishop of Parma, Ugo. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the territory of Cozzano was assigned to the Rossi family of Parma, who also ruled over the nearby Castrignano and Antesica. In 1464, Pier Maria II de' Rossi assigned the manors of Castrignano, Corniglio, Roccaferrara, Roccaprebalza, Corniana, Bosco di Corniglio, and Cozzano to his son Bernardo Rossi, but the designated heir died before his father in 1468.
Pier Maria therefore assigned part of the aforementioned properties, including Cozzano, to his son Guido de' Rossi, but the war of the Rossi family in 1482 prevented his succession, and the fiefdom finally passed to the diocese of Parma, which held its rights until their abolition sanctioned by Napoleon in 1805. After the end of the feudal domain, Cozzano became a hamlet of the municipality of Langhirano.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Don Rodolfo Zenoni, parish priest of Cozzano, planted the mountains of Arvasina, Pozzo, and Corno with Pinus nigra, Picea abies, and Abies alba, giving rise to the Pineta di Cozzano. In his honor, a memorial cippo was erected in 1979.
Monuments and places of interest
Church of Saints Bartolomeo and Martino
The Church of Saints Bartolomeo and Martino is one of the main monuments of Cozzano. First mentioned in 1005, the Romanesque architecture was almost completely rebuilt between 1832 and 1854 according to the project of engineer Francesco Bertè, using materials from the pre-existing building.
The church is decorated inside in neoclassical architecture style and was completed in the side chapels between 1946 and 1974. The original structure is still present in the façade and in the archivolt decorated with a bas-relief at the entrance of the rectory. Inside, the church houses some valuable paintings, including the sixteenth-century altarpiece depicting the Saints Martino and Bartolomeo.
Castle
The castle of Cozzano was built within the eleventh century and assigned to the diocese of Parma in 1035. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the castle was acquired by the Rossi family of Parma, but after the war of the Rossi family in 1482, it returned to the hands of the bishop of Parma. The castle was completely abandoned, and its traces were already lost in the sixteenth century.
Conclusions
If you want to spend a day immersed in history and nature, Cozzano is the ideal destination. Among historical monuments such as the Church of Saints Bartolomeo and Martino and the natural beauty of the Pineta di Cozzano and the nearby mountains, Cozzano is the perfect place for a visit that will leave you with an indelible memory of your vacation in the province of Parma.
