San Sisto
San Sisto: History and Territory
Dear readers, today I will tell you about San Sisto, the largest hamlet of the municipality of Poviglio. Located about 4 km southwest of the town center, this location extends along the Parma road, the ancient postal road of great strategic importance for communication between the territories of Parma and Reggio Emilia. In fact, San Sisto arose as a stopping point for travelers and as a post station and horse exchange for the mail carriers passing between Sorbolo and Poviglio. But let's discover the history of this hamlet together.
History of San Sisto
The first mention of San Sisto dates back to 1022, in a manuscript that accuses some residents of damaging trees and melons. In 1409, the village was destroyed along with other nearby locations by troops of Ottobuono de' Terzi as a retaliatory act against Jacopo Dal Verme, lord of Poviglio. In 1515, San Sisto was disputed between Federico Gonzaga, the new lord of Poviglio, and Parma, to whose jurisdiction the nearby Enzola belonged. Although the dispute remained unsolved, the hamlet could enjoy the "protection" of the Gonzaga family. In 1873, in San Sisto, one of the first Workers' Mutual Aid Societies of the Reggio Emilia province was established, created at the initiative of lawyer Odoardo Pasqualini, an excellent and noble figure of Prampolini socialism. During World War II, San Sisto was the victim of an Allied air raid, which caused the death of 13 residents of the area. Finally, it is worth noting that a detached section of the elementary school was active until the last decade.
The Church of San Sisto
The hamlet's church, dedicated to Pope Sisto II, was erected in 1663 and belongs to the parish of Poviglio. It was visited in 1713 by Monsignor Camillo Marazzani, Bishop of Parma. Outside the pediment, the church lacks particular architectural elements.
Architectural and Phytobotanical Emergencies
San Sisto also boasts important architectural and phytobotanical emergencies, such as Villa Pollina and Villa Pallavicino-Benassi. Villa Pollina is a precious example of a sixteenth-century Palladian-style mansion, immersed in a bucolic context that makes it even more suggestive. Inside, there are some rooms frescoed by Baglioni with grotesque images and "trompe l'oeil" effects. Villa Pallavicino-Benassi is a simple rectangular building, characterized by a pointed basement and lit by semilunar openings that give the villa a certain elegance. Finally, the Boschetto di San Sisto represents an example of the original planarian vegetation of the Po Valley, characterized by extensive poplar groves that can be admired in the "Villaggio" locality.
Conclusions
San Sisto is therefore a place full of history and architectural and phytobotanical emergencies and represents an important stop for those who want to discover the beauties of the territory of Poviglio and the Reggio Emilia province. I really advise you to visit it, perhaps basing yourself in one of the many agritourism establishments in the area where you can taste typical dishes of the Reggio Emilia cuisine and spend a few days in complete relaxation. See you soon!
