The unsung Italian city with amazing food and dramatic castles – but hardly any tourists

Central to the series of cities that dot Emilia Romagna's Food Valley like a string of pearls, Reggio Emilia is regularly squeezed out of visits to the area by its more celebrated neighbours: Parma to the west, Modena to the east, and Bologna just beyond. And while the name of such a prized product as Parmigiano Reggiano is regularly abbreviated, slicing the city out of the picture, and Modena takes all the credit for traditional balsamic vinegar, Reggio Emilia actually makes some of the best of both, along with a series of specialities that include the stuffed pasta and charcuterie that the region does so well. Perfect partners for the local cuisine, the area's wines range from impressive contemporary Lambruscos to fresh dry whites and well-structured reds.

The city of Reggio Emilia itself, cool and collected, displays all the dignity you might expect from the home of the Tricolore, Italy's national flag, with a poise and integrity reminiscent of its strong-minded and red-headed 11^th-century ruler, Matilde di Canossa. Her legacy to the area includes a series of castles studding the dramatic landscapes of the Apennines, just south of the city. Several of them are open to the public and linked by footpaths threading through the hills – the perfect addition to a long weekend in the city.

Walk up an appetite

Reggio Emilia is central to a recently established walking trail (viamatildica.it) dedicated to one of history's most extraordinary and influential female figures, Matilde di Canossa, one of just three women buried at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. While the route stretches from Mantua, her birthplace, to Lucca in Tuscany, its heart is here among the castles and green hills outside Reggio Emilia.

Castles galore

The enchanting ruin of Castello di Canossa is recalled in many languages through the saying 'way to Canossa', meaning humiliation or penance, in reference to a significant historical episode: for three days in January 1077 Emperor Henry IV walked barefoot through snow to beg Pope Gregory VII, hosted at the castle by Matilde, a frequent mediator, for absolution following excommunication. While the pardon was granted, warring was far from over between the two sides.

There's no disgrace in choosing to travel in comfort rather than follow the emperor's footsteps – this is after all Italy's Motor Valley, with supercars including Ferrari and Lamborghini made nearby. Reggio-based Ruote da Sogno (ruotedasogno.com) has an incredible collection of prestigious, largely vintage vehicles all on sale and free to visit. 

Whether you walk or drive, another of the area's many striking castles is Carpinete, Matilde's favourite for summer stays, located at over 800m above sea level. The on-site restaurant (castellodellecarpinete.it) is an atmospheric spot for traditional dishes like home-made pumpkin pasta.

Say cheese

Along with neighbouring Parma, Reggio is home to one of the world's favourite cheeses: Parmigiano Reggiano and some of the tastiest is made here with milk from red-coated Razza Reggiana cows (consorziovaccherosse.it). Seeing the process, unchanged since first made at medieval monasteries, is a fascinating experience: skimmed evening milk combines in copper-lined bell-tanks with full-fat morning milk resulting in a pair of 50kg wheels. After maturing for at least 12 months each one is inspected and branded with the Parmigiano Reggiano logo. For extra endorsement by the Consorzio Vacche Rosse, these cheeses are left to rest for at least 24 months and have stricter controls; some age further, even for six years.  

Balsamic beauties 

Another exquisite speciality, more commonly associated with nearby Modena than Reggio, is aceto balsamico tradizionale, the superior PDO-certified version of balsamic vinegar differentiated from everyday balsamico by the word 'tradizionale'. Nothing but grape is used to make it, and it must mature for a minimum of 12 years in batteries of decreasingly-sized barrels. Only the official consortium can bottle the finished product in special 100ml bottles labelled according to age: 12, 20 or 25 years. Aromatic and picturesque, many vinegar lofts such as Acetaia Lucenti (acetaialucenti.it) offer tours.

A wealth of wineries 

The Venturini Baldini winery and resort (venturinibaldini.it) produces Malbo Gentile, a luscious, fruity red, and the enticingly fresh, appley white Spergola. While both these wines are still, local traditions call for bubbles and the winery makes some supreme sparkling, including Cadelvento rosé, central to their summertime rosé events. The estate has attractive accommodation, a restaurant and footpaths through the hills to Canossa castle (15km). 

Another winery that believes strongly in Spergola is Tenuta d'Aljano (tenutadialjano.it); it produces excellent still and sparkling versions as well as some interesting Lambrusco. This is the heart of Lambrusco country and the vines have grown here since ancient Etruscan times. The Lambrusco of today is very different from yesteryear, however, and winemakers, such as Rinaldini (rinaldinivini.it), are experimenting widely with the dozen different varieties of Lambrusco grape.

Historic Lambrusco specialists Medici Ermete (medici.it) make several excellent versions including award-winning Concerto (Salamino Lambrusco) and Phermento, a cloudy pink Sorbara Lambrusco. Sorbara is linked to a bizarre victory for Matilde di Canossa: her soldiers reached the Sorbara battleground to meet the emperor's army one hot July day in 1084, only to find rival troops sleeping off the effects of the wine, having quenched their thirst rather too eagerly.

Dining out

There's a good choice of local wines at charming Agriturismo Cavazzone (cavazzone.it), which offers traditional dishes, including meat-filled cappelletti pasta, and farmhouse accommodation, while La Razza (larazza.it), another appealing farmhouse with rooms, also has a gluten-free menu. 

For superb food like braised duck breast pasta and tiramisù with traditional balsamic, also served alone as a digestive, and a first-class wine list, book at Ristorante Badessa (ristorantebadessa.it), which is housed in an octagonal former cheese dairy. 

The central piazzas of Reggio Emilia itself fill with pavement tables each evening: delis like Antica Salumeria Giorgio Pancaldi serve platters of charcuterie with gnocco fritto (fried doughy pillows) while for erbazzone, Reggio's Swiss chard-filled speciality pie, try the Melli bakery. The city's main square is Piazza Prampolini, dominated by the cathedral's curious unfinished facade and the city hall where a free museum celebrates Reggio's role as home to the Italian flag, first adopted by Bologna, Modena, Ferrara and Reggio in 1797.

Full of cultural and culinary surprises and surrounded by glorious countryside, Reggio Emilia is something of a rarity: easy to reach, yet refreshingly undiscovered, a joy to explore.

Getting there

BA (from Heathrow; ba.com), EasyJet (from Gatwick; easyjet.com) and Ryanair (from Stansted and Luton; ryanair.com) all fly non-stop to Bologna, from where Reggio-Emilia is a one-hour drive. See Telegraph Travel's guide to the best hotels in Emilia Romagna.