About Bedonia
The Town of Bedonia
Perched at 1,500 feet in the Apennine Mountains, Bedonia is a quaint Italian town nestled in the Taro valley, between the Italian Riviera and the cultural gem of Parma. This former Roman settlement is still untouched by mass tourism—meaning authentic Italian life, real prices, and genuine experiences.
Wander cobblestone streets, people watch while sipping espresso, explore scenic hiking trails, or hop over to iconic destinations like:
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Lake Garda
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Verona
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Lucca
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Pisa
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Genoa
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The Italian Riviera
Bit of Lore: The Legend of the Taro and Ceno Rivers
This is a legend that is passed down orally from one generation to another.
It is said that the Taro and Ceno Rivers were brothers, both born from the peaks of Mount Penna. As brothers do, they loved to one-up each other, so one day they decided to race. This race would be the one that would prove to everyone which of the two brothers was more important and worthy of Mount Penna who had given birth to them. So they decided that whoever reached the town of Fornovo first, would become the prince of the entire valley.
Their race was to begin at sunrise, so the two brothers went to rest. However, the Taro River, knowing how much stronger and faster his brother was, and being the one with more "smarts," snuck out during the night and began the race early. When the Ceno woke up and realized that Taro had cheated, he took a different route to try to make up the lost time.
The race was at times lazy and peaceful, and others rushed and winding. On their way down, the two rivers gathered all the streams and water sources they encountered, growing in size and housing many different species of animals, until they reached their destination and merged at "Fornovo di Taro" name that tells us that the Taro River won, albeit by deception, and the Ceno dove into his brother's waters, joining him in creating a great river that rushed and joined the River Po.
From this race were born two beautiful valleys, the Taro Valley—that houses our little town of Bedonia and our beautiful Villa Tre Angeli which we hope you will come to love—and the Ceno Valley—where the stunning castle of Bardi found its home.
The Taro River also happens to be the local watering hole that sees hundreds of visitors daily thanks to its beautiful clear water and rocky diving opportunities. If you find yourself a bit overheated, heading down to the Groppo will cool you right off!
