The tour starts from Pieveottoville (part of the former Municipality of Zibello), a place of ancient origins that from the 9th to the 14th century was the centre of the administrative and religious district. You may visit the Collegiate Church of San Giovanni Battista dating back to 1673, located in Battisti Square. The Church was already described as large and beautiful in a parish act dating back to 1685. Pieveottoville is also home to the Church of the Madonna della Visitazione or “Madonnina del Po”, located next to the main embankment, along the “Ciclovia Food Valley Bike”. The Church is associated to a miraculous event, because despite being located in the area of the floodplain, it was spared from the river Po waters during a flood. On the contrary, the surrounding houses were seriously damaged. As regards nature, it is worth mentioning the Natural Oasis “Galline Pioppe”.

The itinerary moves towards the area of Zibello, which still retains some of the characteristics that made it a fortified town and preserves evidence of settlements since the Pre-Roman times. The main monuments and historic buildings date back to the times of the Marquises Pallavicino – in particular to Giovan Francesco Pallavicino. The Pallavicino Palace, which overlooks the main town square, consists of a porch and is divided into two parts: one dating back to the second half of the 15th century and the other to the early 16th century. Inside the palace, you will find the homonymous Theatre – designed in 1804 as a hall, but serving as a theatre. It became an actual theatre only in 1827.

The most famous and perfect monument commissioned by Pallavicino is the Parish Church of SS. Gervasio and Protasio, built in the last quarter of the 15th century. Another important building is represented by the former Convent of the Dominican Fathers, with its beautiful cloister, now home to the “G. Riccardi” Rural Culture Museum, created in 1985 and consisting of a rich collection of tools and objects related to rural culture. Recently, the former Convent of the Dominican Fathers has become the seat of the exhibition “Il Cinematografo”, a wide collection dedicated to Bertolucci, Guareschi and Bergonzi.

Eventually, the tour includes a stop in a predominantly agricular area of the lowland, Polesine – enclosed between the Ongina stream and the Po river. Polesine is equipped with a river port that allows connections with the Cremonese bank of the Po river. The nature reserve “Polesine” is located right in the area of the river dock.
Not far from the port, on the Great River embankment, you may visit the “Culatello” Museum, located in the complex of the ancient Court “Pallavicina”. Next to the Museum, you can visit the Church of Madonna di Loreto, also known as “Chiesetta del Po” – located in the area of the floodplain.