from Guide du voyageur en Italie... par Jean-Marie-Vincent Audin, 1826

Plaisance est très agréablement situé sur la rive droite du Po, dont les eaux jaunatres ont beaucoup de ressemblance avec celles du fleuve qui arrose la Touraine. Elle est enceinte de remparts qui servent aujourd'hui de promenades. Toutes les habitations, les églises et les palais qui sont, assure-t-on, au nombre de 100, sont en briques. Lorsqu'on parcourt Plaisance, on se croirait plutot dans les détours d'une citadelle du moyen àge que dans les rues d'une ville. Les dehors des maisons est grave jusqu'à inspirer de la tristesse, et le peu d'habitants qu'on y rencontre donne à quelques quartiers l'aspect d'une ville dépeuplée. La grand place est le seul endroit où l'on trouve un peu de vie et de mouvement; là est le palais ducal, fort simple; en face la Podesteria (mairie), monument gothique assez singulier et aux extrémités duquel on voit les deux statues équestres de Rannucolo et d'Alexandre Farnèse. Les tetes sont passables, mais le reste, et surtout les chevaux, sont très mauvais, ainsi que les bas-reliefs et les ornements qui sont sur les piédestaux. La cathédrale est d'architecture gothique et n'a rien de remarquable. Son intérieur est orné d'une foule de peintures assez médiocres, et ce n'est que dans la coupole que l'on trouve des ouvrages de Guerchin et des figures de Louis Carrache. Il est extremement difficile, pour ne pas dire impossible, de jour des détails de cette coupole meme avec une lorgnette. On fait voir encore dans cette église deux tableaux, l'un du chevalier Landi représentant Jésus sur le chemin du Calvaire; l'autre, de M. Camuccini, la présentation au temple; le premier est fort de couleur et d'expression, et pauvre de dessin; l'autre offre un ordonnance de composition belle et simple, un couleur vraie, quoiqu'un peu grele, et fait honneur à l'école moderne d'Italie. En général, les églises de PLaisance, brillantes de ce luxe dont on est si prodigue en Italie, fourmillent d'ornements de mauvais gout et de tableaux médiocres: c'est l'architecture extérieure qui frappe d'étonnement. Le palais Farnèse, de l'autre coté du Po, est un monument massif qu'on prendrait pour une prison ruinée: ce monument n'a jamais été achevé.- Hotels: de Saint-Marc, la Croix-Blanche.- Diligences: Mongieri et compagnie. Population 28,000 habitants.

from Les Deux Voyageurs... par Pierre-Nicolas Anot, 1802

Le fléau dévastateur de la guerre devroit respecter de si belles contrées ces guirlandes si agréables qui enchaînent les arbres et qui ont de la peine même dans la saison où je les ai vues à quitter leur verd feuillage. Une ville située au milieu de ces objets riants, ne mérite-t-elle pas bien le nom de Plaisance ? Toutefois, à mon grand étonnement elle ne m'a point paru remplir exactement l'idée que son nom présente. Elle a il est vrai, quelques places et des édifices décorés mais ce sont des beautés qui brillent dans un désert. On y voit peu de monde. Sa dépopulation seroit-elle une suite de ses malheurs?Ils sont aussi anciens qu'elle. Le Carthaginois Amilcar la bruta .Marius et Cinna s'en firent un boulevard contre le parti de Sylla sortie de ses cendres, elle devint une pomme de discorde entre Othon et Vitellius. Ces deux rivaux ne sont plus rien quand on les compare aux Totila et aux Alboin, qui inondèrent de sang l'infortunée Plaisance. Cette ville depuis ces tristes époques, a presque toujours suivi le sort de Parme et eUe le partage encore aujourd'hui.
L'ornement le plus majestueux de son intérieur, est le double monument que le génie de Jean de Bologne y a élevé. Ce sont deux statues équestres, dont l'une représente Alexandre Farnèse, si connu dans l'Histoire de la Ligue et des révotions des Pays-Bas. Qand je considérois, il y a sept ans l'endroit où il fit jetter un pont sur l'Escaut, malgré l'indignation du fleuve je ne pensois point voir un jour la contrée qui avoit eu ce Héros pour Souverain. Voici l'inscription qu'on lit sous la statue : Alexandro Farnesio, Placentiae, Parmae etc. Duci M. Belgis devictis, Gallis obsidione levatis, Gallico , Placentia Civitas. Invicto Domino suo Equestri hac statuâ sempiternum voluit extare monumentum M. L'artiste a saisi le moment du départ du cheval. La tête est touchée avec tant de feu, que l'on croit entendre ranimât hennir. A côte de cette statue, est celle du fils de ce Prince, Rainuce le Protecteur des arts. J'allai chercher quelque Chef-d'œuvre à la Cathédrale, et j'y en trouvai car quelle est l'Eglise en Italie où on n'en trouve point? Celle-ci avoit perdu deux de ses tableaux les plus estimés, qui enrichissent actuellement le Muséum de Paris.

from Mary Shelley's journal by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1818

Friday, May 1. -Set out from Milan; sleep at Piacenza. The country is pleasant and fertile.

from Voyage d'un musicien en Italie par Auguste-Louis Blondeau, 1809-1812

En sortant de Lodi, on traverse Sicogliano (sic), village insignifiant, et en suite le Po, l'Eridan de la fable. On traverse cette rivière sur un barque; là finit le Milanais. A l'autre rive commence le duchè de Plaisance. A la sortie du royaume d'Italie, il faut exhiber son passeport et subir les visites vexatoires des douaniers. A très peu de distance du Po est la jolie ville de Plaisance, capitale de la principauté du meme nom, ville entourée de murailles, défendue par une citadelle, ornée de beaux édifices, peuplée de plus de vingt-cinq mille ames, située dans une belle position, grande, bien batie, et pourtant d'un aspect qui me parut triste dans l'intérieur. Je n'eus, à la vérité, qu'une soirée pour l'examiner; j'y dinai et j'y passai la nuit, c'est trop peu pour juger une localité quelconque, aussi je me borne simplement à rapporter l'impression qui me resta après ce court séjour. Cet état, ainsi que celui de Parme, faisait partie de l'Empire français et les douanes s'y exerçaient avec une sévérité presque sauvage: on avait plutot l'air d'etre dévalisé que visité par les cercères qui en gardaient les portes. La grand place de Plaisance est carrée, dallée en pierre dure. Elle a deux façades principales, l'une, batie en brique du genre le plus gothique et ayant cinq grandes arcades pour entrées; en avant de cette façade sont deux chevaux de bronze sur de hauts piédestaux et portant chacun un cavalier de grandeur colossale. L'autre coté, qui est parallèle, est dans un gout plus moderne et n'est pas moins beau, quoique plus simple d'ornements. J'ai remarqué un curieux méridien sur cette place qu'il parcourt dans toute son étendue; il est en cuivre et fixé sur le pavé. Je n'ai pu voir les églises, que l'on m'a dit fort remarquables, mais j'ai vu la salle de spectacle qui est grande et assez belle. J'y vis représenter un drame atroce, dont j'ai oublié le nom, ce que je regrette peu, mais que je fus obligé d'écouter debout, attendu que dans la plus grande partie des salles de spectacles d'Italie, à cette époque, plus de la moitié du parterre était totalment dépourvue de sièges, ce qui me contrariait beaucoup. Je dois dire en passant que le meilleur fromage que l'on consomme en si grande quantité sous le nom de parmesan, se fabrique à Plaisance, d'où il se répand dans le commerce et dans l'Europe.

from An account of divers choice remarks, as well as geographical, as historical ... by Ellis Veryard, 1701

From Lodi we rode to Piacenza (twelve Miles further) an antient Epifcopal City belonging to the Duke of Рarmа, and fituate on the Rivers Po and Trebia, in the moft fertile and pleafant part of Italy. It's fortify'd with a ftrong Wall, Trench, and Citadel ; but the Buildings have nothing extraordinary, excepting the Duke's Palace. In the great Church, the Chappels of S. Corrado and Alexis are curioufly painted by Lanfranco, and the curious Picture of S Martin is by Ludovico Carache. In the Quire of the Benedictines Church, we admired a rare piece of the divine Raphael Vrbin, reprefenting the B. Virgin with Little Jefus, S. Barbara, and others. In the Parochial Church of S. Nazario, we remark'd an extraordinary Work which reprefents S. Michael, painted by Lanfranco. . .
The City is about four Miles in compafs. The Fountain in the Piazza was firft erected by Caefar Auguftus ; and the Statua Equeftris is fet up in memory of Alexander I. Duke of Parma and Piacenza. The Pafture of the adjoyning Territory is efteem'd the beft in Italy, where the Cheefe is much the fame with that of Parma. Here are like-wife divers Springs of Salt water, from which they make very fine Salt.
We faw in this City a monftrous Child, the Son of one Pietro Antonio Configlio, of the City of Bifceglia, in the Province of Apulea. His Face, Hands and Feet were fair and well proportion'd ; but all the reft of his Body, from the Neck downwards, was of a dark Colour, with white Spots intermix'd, and in divers parts cover'd with a hard, callous, and fcaly Subftance, like that of divers Fifh : But, what is yet more ftrange, this Child has fo natural a defire of throwing himfelf into the Water, that fuch as have him under their Care, are very cautious of giving him the leaft
Occafion. This Prodigy, or rather Error of Nature, is afcrib'd to the force of his Mother's Imagination, who, before and after the time of her Conception, went often to the Sea-fide to take the frefh Air, where fhe faw divers Tortoifes, and other Fifh, fporting on the Water, and brought on Shore by the Fifher men, which imprinted fo ftrong and confus'd an Idea in her Intellect as ran conftantly in her mind, and could not be remov'd 'till the time of her Delivery.

from A Journey to Paris in the year 1698 by DR. Martin Lister

The 12th. Early in the morning to Piacenza, that I might have time to view that city,
which, however contains little worthy of attention. The country changed a good deal
to-day. It is like the flat rich parts of Effex and Suffolk. Houfes are thinner, and
the general face inferior. The inequalities which began yefterday increafe. The two
equeftrian ftatues of Alexander and Rannutio Farnefe, are finely expreffive of life ;
the motion of the horfes, particularly that of Alexander's, is admirable ; and the
whole performance fpirited and alive. They are by John of Bologna, or Moca his eleve.
... From Piacenza, after paffing the Trebbia, the rows of vines are thirty to forty
yards afunder, with heaps of props ten feet long, fet like hop-poles ; very few or no
vines trained to trees. Sleep at Caftel St. Giovanne. 26 miles.

from A journey into various parts of Europe, ... by Thomas Pennington, 1829

Placentia at some distance makes a handsome appearance with its towers and buildings, and we entered it by a strong gate. Placentia, Piacenza, or Plaisance, the Roman, Italian, and French names, derives its name from its situation, and is a fine city, built in a plain, and containing 30,000 persons. The streets are broad and good, and the houses, though not lofty, have a clean and comfortable appearance.
The city is about a quarter of a mile from the Po*, over which is a fine bridge of boats : this river about three miles off receives the river Trebbia, and is broad and rapid. The chief street, called Stradone, is very long, broad, and straight, with a handsome footway ; here is the church of St. Agostino, which has a remarkably fine facade. The Grande Place is very handsome, but its greatest ornament is two noble equestrian statues of Alexander I., the great Duke of Parma and his son Ranuccio I, in fine bronze, with suitable inscriptions, which from their length are here omitted.
...
At Placentia, we experienced much attention, several persons officiating as our conductors, one of whom to our surprise spoke English very well. As an instance of their liberality and good information, on our asking him in the way of conversation, if there were many protestants in the town, he answered. 'No, they were all christians.'
We now began to tread literally on classic ground, as the ancient Via Flaminia, which is connected by the Aemilian, going by Parma, Modena and Bologna, begins here. Although there are four gates at the different parts of the city, yet the fortifications are not strong ; the noble and ancient palace formerly inhabited by the dulces, which is a spacious building of brick, is now converted into a barrack, though there were not more than five hundred soldiers in the town ; such are the changes which a few years produce.
There are here, as in the other towns, strong marks of the devastations of the French, many churches being destroyed, and some shut up.

March 20th. — Left Placentia, at six in the morning, by a very strong gate and drawbridge, on each side of which are very deep moats. Our passports were here examined again and countersigned, a duty which the officers diligently perform. Every traveller ought to be attentive to this indispensable ceremony, as the least informality or neglect will put him to great in- convenience, and retard his journey, as we had before experienced at Turin, and were again doomed to experience at another place, as will be hereafter shewn. The road continued level, the country rich, and the men and women actively employed in agriculture. The Apennines were still on our right, the Tyrol Alps on the left, and of both we had a fine view.

from Information and Directions for Travellers on the Continent by Mariana Starke, 1829

The little province, of which Lodi is the capital, usually gives food to 30,000 cows; and its cheese, improperly called Parmesan, is most excellent. Hence we proceeded to a troublesome Austrian custom-house, near the Po ; and then crossed that fine river, on a pont-volant to Piacenza. This town, seated in a rich and pleasant country, contains several objects of interest; namely, the Cathedral and the Church of La Madonna della Campagna, both adorned with good paintings, the cupola of the former being by Guercino, the angles by Francesconi, and 'the ceiling above the great altar, and frescos behind fields of rice, and every other kind it, by Lodovico Caracci and Procaccino. This church is likewise adorned with a picture of S. Corrado, by Lanfranco, and another of S. Francois Xavier, by Fiamingo; the Angels, in fresco, which surround the latter, being likewise by Fiamingo; and the Ascension, on the ceiling of one of the chapels, by the same master. The Church of the Canonici regolari di S. Agostino, designed by Vignola; the Town-hall, by the same architect ; and two equestrian Statues, the one representing Ranucolo, and the other Alessandro Farnese, by Francesco Moca, also merit notice. Piacenza, though large, is built entirely of brick, not even its palaces excepted; it contains a pretty theatre and good hotels. Here commences the ancient Via Flaminia, constructed during the consulate of Lepidus and Flaminius, and leading to the Via Emilia in Romagna; and not far hence flows that memorable torrent, the Trebbia, whose immense bed travellers drive through on their way to S. Giovanni, in the road to Tortona.
At the distance of half a mile from Piacenza, we crossed a bridge thrown over the Po, having, to our right, the lofty mountains of the Apennine, with villages and farms at their base; and to our left a plain, watered by the abovenamed river. Midway to Fiorenzuola we traversed, on a stonebridge, a torrent called the Nura, and thence drove through the bed of the Larda, always dry in summer, and provided with a narrow bridge, over which carriages pass when the stream is swoln by winter rain. We then proceeded through Fiorenzuola, a small town where, however, there are good inns...

from The Taylor Papers by Sir Herbert Taylor, 1838

June 5th-7th. We came by Parma and Piacenza, which I had not before seen fine towns and as far as I could learn, satisfied with the rule of Marie Louise, who is a liberal patroness of arts and science ; but the population is very inadequate to the extent of these towns. Palaces are uninhabited or have become storehouses and manufacturies. Whole streets are empty, and there were not any fine shops, nor the appearance of much trade. The country is well cultivated. I cannot help here noticing that Piacenza, as well as Florence, offer contradictions to a recent assertion of Mr. Croker (with reference to the monument proposed to be erected to the Duke of Wellington) that there are not any equestrian statues in Europe other than of Royal personages. There are two Colossi at Piacenza of Alexander Farnese and another Farnese, and there are two or three at Florence of the Medici family.

from the Diaries of Francis Parkman, 1843

At ten in the evening we left Parma. At five in the morning we were at Piacenza. Here we stopped an hour or two. Here again the striking difference between the towns of northern and southern Italy was manifested. The people looked as grave and solemn as the brick fronts of the palaces and churches. The town was just bestirring itself. Well-dressed men were thronging to the cafés for breakfast — the shops were being opened, and the market people coming in with their produce. Tall contadini were driving flocks of goats about the street, stopping and milking one into a little tin measure, whenever some housekeeper or the servant of some café came out to demand 'latte fresco.' There was an amusing concourse of market people in the public piazza, before the lofty front of the old government palace. Cheeses, meat, butter, eggs, and piles of live hens, tied neck and heels as you see them in Canada, were spread in every direction over the pavement, surrounded by sellers and purchasers, both apparently half asleep. At a little distance were two long lines of women and men, each with a basket of eggs in hand, standing immovable with an expression of patient resignation, waiting for a purchaser. The men were little shrivelled farmers, in breeches and broad hats, with staffs in their hands, and dickeys standing up erect, like diminutive Englishmen. High above this motley swarm of helpless humanity rose the statue of some great lord of the Farnese family, seated on horse- back, holding his truncheon of command, as if at the head of an army, and looking as if one act of his single will, or one movement of his armed hand, would be enough to annihilate the whole swarm of poor devils below him.