Monumental palace of the Farnese family, since 1770 court of the Bourbons, the Reggia di Colorno (otherwise known as the Palazzo Ducale) is open to visitors. We rent space for dinners, weddings, exhibitions and cultural events.
Reggia di Colorno History
A magnificent example of a noble residence, the Reggia di Colorno (also known as Palazzo Ducale di Colorno) was built by the Duke Francesco Farnese at the beginning of the eighteenth century on the former fortress of Colorno dating back to the fourteenth century by Azzo da Correggio for defensive purposes. After the families of Correggio and Terzi, at the end of the sixteenth century it became the property of Barbara Sanseverino who converted it into an aristocratic villa enriching it with several works by Correggio, Tiziano and Raffaello. Later, in 1612, the building belonged to the Farnese family who, thanks to Ranuccio II, to his son Francesco Farnese and to the work of the architect Ferdinando Bibbiena, carried out the renovations giving it today's appearance.
Passed in the eighteenth century to the Bourbon family, the palace was further modified by the architect Ennemond Alexandre Petiot and the sculptor Boudard who was asked to make it similar to the palace of Versailles.
With the Congress of Vienna in 1825 the Palace was declared "Imperial" and assigned to Napoleon's wife Maria Luigia of Habsburg from 1816 to 1847 who made it one of her favorite residences; during this thirty years various attention was paid to both the garden, transformed into English, and the Palace, restored both in 1817 and 1839. After the unification of Italy, the building was sold by the Savoy to the Province of Parma and much of the furniture of the Savoy family transferred to their various residences, including the Quirinale in Rome and Palazzo Pitti in Florence.
Fascinating synthesis of different histories and styles, the Reggia di Colorno presents itself to the eyes of visitors with the signs of the works, projects and dynasties that have followed one another during the course of history with alternating fortunes: the great halls of the main floor, decorated by stuccos and frescoes show off the luxury of the Colornese court; two sitting rooms upholstered with exotic decorations refer to the taste of the duchess Luigia Elisabetta, daughter of Louis XV King of France, who lived here in the second half of the eighteenth century; on the opposite side of the Palace, the Ducal Chapel of San Liborio, commissioned by Francesco Farnese in 1772, with inside one of the most valuable and ancient organs existing today.
To complete the complex, the historic Garden built in the eighteenth century by Francesco Farnese, with a pond, statues and water games that recently the provincial administration of Parma has taken steps to bring back to its former glory.
The sumptuous residence is the privileged venue for organizing exhibitions and exhibitions and lends itself with its elegant atmosphere, the rooms and the magnificent garden to host banquets, dinners, ceremonies and any type of event on concession of the Province of Parma.