Piacenza​

By Dion Protani
Latest update: 14 March 2022
The city of Piacenza is the capital city of the Province of Piacenza with a population of 103,942 inhabitants.

Standing at an elevation of 61 metres above sea level, it covers a total area of 118 km² and lies 160 kilometres north west of Bologna, the regional capital of Emilia Romagna.  

The main sight in Piacenza is its 12th century Romanesque cathedral which stands on Piazza Duomo. The city's main square however is Piazza Cavalli, home to the Palazzo Gotico.
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The Palazzo Gotico is sometimes referred to as the Palazzo Comunale and from here it's a 6 minute walk (500 metres) to the Basilica di Sant'Antonino. Another Romanesque structure, construction first started on the Basilica in the 4th century. On the way from Piazza Cavalli to the Basilica di Sant'Antonino you can take in another of the city's important churches, the Chiesa di San Francesco. 

Two further basilicas lay on the outskirts of the city; the Basilica di Santa Maria di Campagna lies at Piacenza's north west perimeter while the Basilica di San Savino is on the opposite edge. Both basilicas are roughly 15 minutes' walk from the city centre. A slightly shorter distance from the centre (500 metres) is the Palazzo Farnese which is home to the Civic Museums and the Piacenza Archaeological Museum. 

Piacenza's train station is situated 1.3 kilometres from Piazza Cavalli, a walk of 16 minutes or a 6 minute bus ride using the number 2 or number 16 buses. Heading south east you can take a train from Piacenza to Bologna in 1 hour 22 minutes; the same train terminates at Pescara on the Adriatic Coast (4 hours 37 minutes), stopping along the way at Parma (34 minutes), Reggio Emilia (48 mins), Modena (1 hour 1 minute), Faenza (1 hour 48 minutes), Forlì (1 hour 57 minutes), Cesena (2 hours 9 minutes) and Rimini (2 hours 31 minutes). 

The most convenient airports for Piacenza are Milan Linate Airport which is 50 minutes away by car (67 km), Bergamo Orio al Serio - 1 hour 14 minutes (109 km), Milan Malpensa - 1 hour 26 minutes (121 km) and Bologna Airport which is an hour and 29 minutes away by car (147 km). A fourth option is Verona Airport which is an hour and 25 minutes, a distance of 136 kilometres.
Comune di Piacenza
Province: Piacenza

Region: Emilia Romagna

Population: 102,731​​​​​​ (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022)

Size: 118 km²

Elevation: 61 metres

Highlights: Piacenza Cathedral, Palazzo Gotico, Piazza Cavalli

Close by: ​Grazzano Visconti, Castell'Arquato, Vigoleno, Bobbio

Recommended hotel: Grande Albergo Roma
Public transport: ​​​train station 1.3 km from centre, local buses

By train: ​​​Parma - 34 minutes, Reggio Emilia - 48 minutes
By car: ​​​Parma - 53 mins (64 km), Reggio Emilia - 1 hr 9 mins (91 km)

Fly to: ​​​Milan Linate Airport - 50 minutes by car (67 km)

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