Booking choice: The Parma and Torrechiara day, from $33 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Torrechiara Castle, near Langhirano, is in the museum's words one of the most notable examples of fortified architecture in the region: four towers, three rings of walls and floors of painted rooms. It is run by the Complesso della Pilotta, with its own hours and a EUR 8 ticket.
This guide covers its history, the famous Golden Room, 2026 hours and prices, the combined ticket, how to get there by car or bus, and the weekend tour that pairs it with a walk through Parma.
The quick answer
Torrechiara Castle was built between 1448 and 1460 by Pier Maria Rossi, Count of San Secondo, and its Golden Room is frescoed with scenes of his love for Bianca Pellegrini. It is open Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00 and weekends and holidays 11:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays, for EUR 8, or on the EUR 25 combined ticket with the Pilotta. It is about 20 km south of Parma: drive, take TEP bus 2670, or join the weekend tour from Parma (castle ticket extra).
What is Torrechiara Castle?
A 15th-century fortress and noble residence near Langhirano, built between 1448 and 1460 by Pier Maria II de' Rossi, Count of San Secondo, and now part of the Pilotta museum group.
It was built both to control the Parma valley below and as a home for Pier Maria and his lover, Bianca Pellegrini. Its design follows the Sforza and Visconti castles of Lombardy: an inner courtyard, four corner towers and three lines of walls. Bianca died around 1480 and Pier Maria in 1482 at the castle, and both were buried in its oratory. The Italian state bought it in 1912.
What is the Golden Room at Torrechiara?
Pier Maria and Bianca's bedchamber on the upper floor, frescoed between 1460 and 1462 with scenes of courtly love and the castles of the Rossi family; its walls were once covered in gold leaf.
The Camera d'Oro, in the north-east tower, is attributed to Benedetto Bembo, though recent studies suggest his brother Gerolamo. The frescoes show Bianca travelling across the Rossi lands in search of her lover, among painted castles, monograms, hearts and the motto Nunc et semper, now and forever. It opens onto a loggia with views over the valley.
See the Golden Room with a guide after a walk through Parma, on weekends.
Check dates for the Parma and Torrechiara dayWhat else is there to see inside?
A run of frescoed rooms: the ground-floor rooms by Cesare Baglione, the Angels room echoing Correggio's dome in Parma Cathedral, and the Hall of the Acrobats upstairs.
Baglione painted the ground-floor rooms of Jupiter, the Pergola, Victory and the Velarium; he and Giovan Antonio Paganino painted the Hall of the Acrobats in the late 1500s. The Angels room is by an anonymous 17th-century Parma artist who borrowed from Correggio. Film fans may know the castle from Ladyhawke (1985), which shot scenes here. The courtyard and main floor are reached by lift; the museum recommends calling ahead if you need it.
What are Torrechiara Castle's opening hours and prices?
Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 11:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays; EUR 8 full price.
Official 2026 hours and prices. Note the early weekday closing: on a Tuesday to Friday, arrive by 14:30.
| Torrechiara Castle | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday to Friday | 9:00 to 15:00, last entry 14:30 |
| Saturday, Sunday and holidays | 11:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30 |
| Monday | Closed |
| Full ticket | EUR 8 |
| Ages 18 to 25 | EUR 2 |
| Groups of 10 to 30 | EUR 6 per person |
| Under 18 | Free |
| Combined ticket | EUR 25: castle, Pilotta, Antica Spezieria and Veleia |
Is the EUR 25 combined ticket worth it?
Yes, if you visit both the Pilotta and the castle: separately they cost EUR 26, and the combined ticket also adds the Antica Spezieria and the Roman site of Veleia.
Bought one by one, the four sites cost EUR 36: the Pilotta EUR 18, Torrechiara EUR 8, the Antica Spezieria di San Giovanni EUR 5 and Veleia EUR 5. The Spezieria, an old monastery pharmacy, is in central Parma next to San Giovanni Evangelista, so it is easy to add. Veleia is further into the hills and needs a car. Buy it at the Pilotta box office or on pilotta.ticka.it; all prices are in Pilotta tickets and hours.
How do you get to Torrechiara from Parma?
About 20 km south of Parma near Langhirano: by car, by TEP bus line 2670 (Langhirano, Torrechiara, Corcagnano, Parma), or on a guided tour.
By car, head south up the Parma valley towards Langhirano. The bus is line 2670 of TEP, Parma's public transport company; since May 2025 extra runs on Sundays and holidays leave Parma at 10:35 and 12:05, according to the Pilotta's own notice, so check the current TEP timetable for the way back. From the village the castle is up a short, fairly steep road: the tour operator puts it at about a 10-minute walk.
No car? The weekend tour pairs a guided walk in Parma with a guided visit inside the castle, including the Golden Room.
Explore the Parma and Torrechiara dayWhat is the Parma and Torrechiara tour?
A weekend tour for $33 over about 7 hours: a guided walk past Parma's sights outdoors, then a guided visit inside the castle. The castle ticket is not included, and the castle part is suspended in July and August.
The Parma and Torrechiara tour on GetYourGuide is a new listing with no reviews yet. The Parma walk (outside only: the Duomo, the Baptistery and the Pilotta) meets at the IAT tourist office, Strada Garibaldi 18, on Saturday at 10:00 or 15:00 and Sunday at 10:00. The castle visit has its own meeting point at Strada del Castello 1 (Saturday 11:30 or 15:15, Sunday 16:00), so check how you get there between the two. The castle ticket is left out because it varies with group size and is free on some dates. It is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
A guide in Parma and inside the castle, from $33: check which weekend dates run.
Check dates for the Parma and Torrechiara dayWhat else can you add to a day trip from Parma?
The Labirinto della Masone at Fontanellato, 20 km from Parma in the other direction, north-west: a bamboo maze with a large art collection.
Torrechiara is in the hills south of Parma, the Labirinto on the plain to the north-west, so they make two separate half days rather than one loop. The Labirinto ticket ($25, rated 4.3 from 63 reviews) covers 7 hectares of bamboo maze and Franco Maria Ricci's collection of more than 400 works, and you can go in and out all day. Back in town, plan the rest with Parma in one day.
A second day trip from Parma: the world's largest bamboo maze and an art collection, on a full-day ticket.
Explore the Labirinto della Masone ticketFrequently asked questions
Is Torrechiara Castle included in the Pilotta ticket?
Not in the EUR 18 ticket. The EUR 25 combined ticket covers both, plus the Antica Spezieria and Veleia.
Can you get to Torrechiara without a car?
Yes: TEP bus line 2670 runs between Parma and Langhirano via Torrechiara, then it is a short, steep walk up. Or take the weekend tour from Parma.
Was Ladyhawke filmed at Torrechiara Castle?
Yes. Scenes of the 1985 film Ladyhawke were shot at the castle.
Is Torrechiara Castle open on Mondays?
No. It opens Tuesday to Friday 9:00 to 15:00, and on weekends and holidays 11:00 to 17:00.
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Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Parma Walk and Torrechiara Castle Visit
Parma plus the Pilotta's castle, weekends
Private Parma Art Day with the Pilotta Gallery
- Private guide for your group, 9:00 start at the Pilotta entrance
- Entrance tickets included: Galleria Nazionale, Teatro Farnese, Cathedral, Camera di San Paolo
- About 1 hour in the gallery and 30 minutes in the Teatro Farnese
