Famous for the production of the appreciated Culatello of Zibello DOP (defined by Gabriele D'Annunzio as "the prince of salami" for its sweetness and soft compact meat). It is a town in the province of Parma, an agricultural and industrial center located parallel to the embankment of the Po. There are two different theories on the origins of its name: for some historians, it derives from "gibbo" (hump), while for others, from "zobello" (river bank en route).
Although the area was already inhabited in pre-Roman times and later by the Romans, the first certain information and documents about the town date back to medieval times. Feud of the Pallavicino, Zibello experienced a period of economic and cultural splendor and Giovanni Francesco Pallavicino proclaimed it capital of his small fief. In the XVI century the town was the subject of contention with the Rangoni, who ruled for about a century, but without increasing the development of the village. It was then regained by the Pallavicino, who kept the domain until the abolition of feudalism.
Sites of Interest:
- Palazzo Pallavicini (or Old Palace), situated on the main square, is a square plan building with a central court. The oldest part is characterized by wide arches and decorations in terracotta and limestone, typical of the Gothic style;
- the Parish Church of Saints Gervaso and Protaso, a splendid example of Lombard Gothic style, started in the XV century (but consecrated much later, in 1620). The impressive architectural complex has a brick façade, crowned by a spire, both the central section and the sides are separated by pillars, which tend to accentuate the division of the building into three parts, which correspond to the division within of three aisles. It features an elegant rose window above the large central portal, while on the two side entrances open two point arched windows;
- the Chapel of Our Lady of Grace, the oldest monument in the town, which probably dates back to the XIV century. The interior was completely frescoed, even though, at present remain only fragments;
- the Collegiate Church of San Giovanni Battista, built on the ruins of a pre-existing building of Romanesque style. It was built by Matilda of Tuscany and features a beautiful neo-Classical façade, designed by Pier Luigi Montecchini (1859) and flanked by a Bell Tower of 1778, probably built on an existing Romanesque bell tower;
- the former Convent of the Dominicans, founded in 1494 by the Marquis Giovanni Francesco Pallavicino;
- the XVIII century Sanctuary of San Rocco, in the district of Ardola.