Easter Escape Castle: “The Magic and the Mysteries of the Castle”

Special guided tour with Escape Castle: a mysterious puzzle game featuring medieval ciphers, Dantean secrets and a cryptex.
With a welcome glass and a tasting of the castle’s wines.
Available both in a daytime version and in an evening version, lit by candlelight after sunset. 🕯️🏰

Saturday, March 28: 11:15 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 29 (Palm Sunday): 11:15 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm
Saturday, April 4: 11:15 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 9:00 pm
Sunday, April 5 (Easter): 11:15 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, 9:00 pm
Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday): 11:15 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm

Before and after sunset, the Castello di Contignaco will open its doors on a special basis, welcoming guests who wish to experience the charm of a unique and unusual visit within the silence of its ancient walls. The evening visit is even more evocative: after sunset, when the sky turns pink over the hills of Contignaco, the castle’s ancient beauty takes on magical and atmospheric tones.

Guests will be welcomed with a romantic glass of sparkling wine, Contignaci Turris, a white wine made from Pinot grapes and produced using traditional methods that highlight the flavours of the local heritage (non-alcoholic drinks will also be available).

The Escape Castle experience is inspired by some of the most beautiful cantos of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, from the Inferno to Paradise, without forgetting Purgatory. Local legends even tell of a passage of Dante near the castle, which once belonged to a branch of his family, the Aldighieri (or Alighieri) of Parma: reading Dante at Contignaco therefore takes on a particularly fascinating atmosphere.

What to expect:

• An atmospheric guided tour: guests will explore the fortress’s exterior and interior spaces while a guide recounts the castle’s thousand-year history, from the Pallavicino family to the present day.
• Dantean mysteries of the castle: for more than two centuries the castle belonged to the Aldighieri family of Parma, the same family as Dante. According to legend, the poet stayed here during his years of exile.
• Candlelight: some areas of the castle will be illuminated by candles, making the visit even more evocative.
• A photography exhibition: along the tour route, guests can admire the beautiful shots from the exhibition Incanto Emiliano by Anna Lisa Inzaina.
• The Escape Castle game: the guided visit is followed by a game based on medieval cryptography; designed mainly for adults but enjoyable for children as well.
• Original medieval ciphers: visitors will play with real cipher symbols used in the 14th century, discovering how coded messages were created in the Middle Ages.
• Dante-themed puzzles: inspired by the Divine Comedy, offering a fun and original way to engage with Dante’s verses.
• The cryptex: participants will attempt to open a cryptex, a safe with rotating discs that can only be unlocked after solving the puzzles.
• A blend of play and culture: the activity allows guests to learn and have fun at the same time, exploring history, literature and the complex art of cryptography in an engaging way.
• Final prize for everyone: a pleasant surprise will conclude the experience.
• Optional guided tasting of the castle’s wines.

Duration (tour + game): about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Booking required.
More information and discounts available with online booking: www.castellodicontignaco.it/eventi