[Note: The following is written from the perspective of a middle-class, American. I've put the "hard" information first, followed by a few words based on my personal experience; just use what applies to you and ignore the rest! :-) If you find errors or grossly out-of-date information (or have anything you think I should add), please email me!]

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Just what you can do on a visit to the Little World of Don Camillo depends both on how much time you have and on the level of your devotion to GG. The average visitor can probably see everything he needs to see in two days (provided he plans ahead or is lucky enough to find everything open when he arrives). But if you are the type who also wants to spend hours gazing into the Po, or just soaking up local color-- you know, a real pilgrim-- then you'd better allot four or five days.

"Must-see" places: if you only have one day, try to see these two (car required; they're about 30 mi. apart).

• Roncole Verdi: The town where the composer Verdi was born is also the place where GG spent the last 15 or so years of his life. Of interest:
  • GG's grave, in the churchyard
  • Offices of the Club dei 23 (Italy's premier GG organization), where a permanent exhibition about the author is on display (appointment recommended). Click here (or use contents bar at right) to learn more (and see photos from my 1998 visit).
    .
• Brescello: the location where the 1950's film series was shot still boasts its identity as "the home of Don Camillo and Peppone" To see:
  • Museo Don Camillo e Peppone-- click here (or use contents bar at right) to learn more/see my photos.
  • Various Brescello locations associated with the films-- town square, church, railway station, etc. (a map available in the Museum shows where these are). I should say that I'm not sure the church is always open to the public.
  (Note: Americans who've never seen a Don Camillo film might not get why Brescello is on my "must-see" list. But my own happy experience prompts me to recommend that you view one of the movies before making your trip; they are an integral part of how Don Camillo is known and appreciated in Europe. Click here, or see no. (8) in contents bar at left, for information on obtaining a copy.)

Other places to visit: add these to your itinerary if you have two days to spend in the Little World

• Diolo: a typical Little World village containing a tiny museum (in an old church belltower!) dedicated to GG. Click here (or use contents bar at right) to learn more/see my photos.
  .
• Fontanelle: GG's birthplace; in fact, the house in which he was born still stands (it's privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside). Also of interest are various buildings shown in the pictorial GG biography Fantasie della Bionda, plus a statue of Giovanni Faraboli, early-20th-C. Socialist leader and the model for Peppone.

More local color: it's really a wonderful area, if you've time to explore it. [Note: in this section, all links to "official websites" will open in new windows.]

• Parma is the heart of Guareschi country. For general info (all in Italian) and links, here's the official website of the Province of Parma.
• Busseto: a lovely town (I stayed there when I visited the Little World) associated with Verdi, and host of many cultural events. Official website.
• Soragna: another Parmese town, boasting an impressive town hall. Official website.
• Cremona: not in Parma, but nearby and nice. Medieval town famous as the home of 17th-18th C. violin-making. Official website.

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My experience:
So, you're not Italian, but you want to visit the Little World of Don Camillo next time you go to Italy. Well, great! I did that in 1998 and found it a wonderful experience. However, your mileage may vary: satisfaction with a trip of this sort depends a lot on things like your country of origin, physical circumstances, knowledge of Italian, budget, temperament, and-- most importantly-- expectations.

See, the Little World really is a little world, and off the beaten path. It's in the North, outside of the Rome- Venice- Florence triangle covered by the typical tour-for-foreigners. And evidently Americans aren't expected to know or care anything about Guareschi, for I've never seen a "Visit Don Camillo's World" segment included on the itinerary of any of the standard "see Italy in 7 (14, etc.) days" packages offered by American Express or AAA. You can, of course, book general tours of the region of Emilia Romagna, which is where Parma, the Po, and the Little World are located. But Don Camillo content isn't guaranteed.

To make matters worse for the Don Camillo fan trying to arrange his own trip, train and bus service (despite the good things you've heard or experienced of European public transport in general!) don't really cover all the relevant bits of Guareschi country. And then there's the language barrier: in areas of Italy not thick with tourists, it's extremely unrealistic to expect to find people fluent in foreign languages (such as English).

But wait! Don't hang up your dreams of seeing Little World yet. The small towns associated with Guareschi and Don Camillo are not hard to find, and there are adequate accommodations, good food, and lovely photo opportunities to be had. Just understand that it helps immensely if you know Italian, are very independent and adventurous, and can afford a rental car (not to mention drive a stick-shift).

On the other hand, if you have a friend in Italy who can help you, you can overcome a lot.

Consider the case yours truly, in 1998. As far as the trip was concerned, I had a lot going against me: most damning, I spoke no Italian! And my budget-- while big enough to cover plane fare from the US, a room in a pension for four days, food, and souvenirs-- did not extend to a rental car (first, because insurance on such things is ASTRONOMICAL, and second, because I only drive automatic transmission, which is harder to get in Europe and so costs considerably more). Moreover, even if I had been able to afford the car, I was (and am) far too timid to ever consider trying to drive in a strange place with very high speed limits-- especially alone and in ignorance of the local language! So... I stayed home, right?

No, thankfully! And here's why: I had wonderful Italian friends who not only picked me up at Milan airport and drove me around while I was in the Little World, but also recommended a place for me to stay, and even reserved the room on my behalf several months in advance.