Booking choice: The Labirinto entry ticket, from $25 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Rocca Sanvitale is the castle of the Sanvitale counts, begun in the 13th century and mostly completed by the 15th, and entirely surrounded by a moat. Today it is partly a museum and partly the town hall of Fontanellato.
Below: what the castle is, Parmigianino's room of Diana and Actaeon, the camera obscura, how visits work, hours and prices, and how to combine it with the Labirinto. Hours and prices differ between sources, so check the official Rocca site before you go.
The quick answer
Rocca Sanvitale is a moated castle in the centre of Fontanellato with Parmigianino's frescoes of Diana and Actaeon (1523 to 1524) and a 19th-century camera obscura. The town's site lists weekday hours of 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:30 from April to October (17:30 in winter), and 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays and holidays; it is closed on Tuesdays, except in April and May. Tickets cost about EUR 10 to 12 for adults, depending on the source, so check; a Labirinto ticket bought on GetYourGuide brings a discount.
What is Rocca Sanvitale?
The moated castle of the Sanvitale family in the centre of Fontanellato, begun in the 13th century and mostly completed by the 15th, now partly a museum and partly the town hall.
The moat is fed by spring water and runs all the way round the castle. The Sanvitale sold the castle to the town in 1948, according to Italian Wikipedia, and restoration opened some of its rooms to the public. Besides the Parmigianino room, visitors see decorated rooms such as the armoury, the dining room, the bridal chamber and a gallery of 74 family portraits.
What is Parmigianino's room of Diana and Actaeon?
A small room frescoed by Parmigianino in 1523 to 1524 for Count Galeazzo Sanvitale and his wife Paola Gonzaga, telling the myth of Diana and Actaeon from Ovid's Metamorphoses.
The story runs around 14 lunettes under a vault painted as a pergola, with putti among the leaves; at the centre of the ceiling is a round mirror inscribed 'Respice finem', 'consider the end'. Actaeon surprises the goddess Diana bathing and is turned into a stag. For many visitors, this one small room is the highlight of Fontanellato.
What is the camera obscura at Rocca Sanvitale?
A 19th-century optical chamber in the south tower that uses mirrors and a prism to project a moving view of the square onto a screen inside; Italian Wikipedia calls it the only working one of its kind in Italy.
It was commissioned by Count Giovanni Sanvitale as an entertainment for guests: from the dark room, people could watch the life of the square without being seen. The town's site also describes it as the only working example in Italy. Ask at the ticket desk how it fits into your visit.
With the GetYourGuide Labirinto ticket, show it at the Rocca for a discount on entry.
Check dates for the Labirinto entry ticketCan you visit Rocca Sanvitale on your own?
Partly: the ground floor and the Parmigianino room are open to visit freely, but the decorated rooms of the noble floor can only be seen on a guided visit.
The town's site lists guided visits on weekdays at 10:15, 11:45, 14:45 and 16:00, with an extra visit at 17:15 from April to October; at weekends, guided visits run according to demand. If you want the whole castle, plan your day around one of those times, before or after the Labirinto.
What are the opening hours of Rocca Sanvitale?
On weekdays except Tuesday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:30 from April to October, and to 17:30 from November to March; on Sundays and holidays, 10:00 to 18:00 all year. It also opens on Tuesdays in April and May.
Hours as listed on the town's site, fontanellato.org, in September 2026. Sources differ, so check the official Rocca site before you go.
| Period | Weekdays (not Tuesday) | Sundays and holidays | Guided visits on weekdays |
|---|---|---|---|
| April to October | 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:30 | 10:00 to 18:00 | 10:15, 11:45, 14:45, 16:00, 17:15 |
| November to March | 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:30 | 10:00 to 18:00 | 10:15, 11:45, 14:45, 16:00 |
| Tuesdays | Closed, except in April and May |
How much is a ticket to Rocca Sanvitale?
About EUR 10 to 12 for adults, depending on the source; Parma Welcome lists EUR 12, with EUR 5 for children aged 6 to 16 and free entry under 6. Check the current price on the official Rocca site.
An older listing gives EUR 10 and EUR 5, and we could not confirm the 2026 price on the official site. What we can confirm: the GetYourGuide Labirinto ticket includes a discount on the Rocca Sanvitale ticket when you show it. We found no official combined ticket for the Rocca and the Labirinto.
The Labirinto ticket with free cancellation, which also brings a discount at Rocca Sanvitale.
Explore the Labirinto entry ticketCan you combine Rocca Sanvitale and the Labirinto in one day?
Easily: they are about 5 km apart, and the Labirinto ticket allows re-entry all day. Or book the private day with a guide for both, which is non-refundable.
Both are closed on Tuesdays (the Rocca opens on Tuesdays in April and May). A simple plan: the Rocca at 10:00 or a morning guided visit, lunch in Fontanellato, then the Labirinto in the afternoon before last entry at 17:30 in summer. The private castle and maze day costs $223 per person and runs about 7 hours: about 2 hours at the Rocca and about 3 at the Labirinto, meeting at Piazza Matteotti 1 or with pickup from Parma. It is rated 4.3 from 12 reviews, lunch is not included, and it is non-refundable and cannot be changed. Tickets for the maze are in Labirinto tickets and hours.
A private guide for the castle and the maze, both tickets included, pickup from Parma on request. Non-refundable.
Explore the private castle and maze dayWhat else is there in Fontanellato?
A small town built around its castle and moat. The obvious extras are lunch, a tasting of cured meats at nearby Sanguinaro, and the Labirinto.
At La Fattoria di Parma in Sanguinaro, a village of Fontanellato, a one-hour curing-room tasting ($25) sets Parma ham, culatello and culatta side by side. It has only 2 reviews so far, both 5 stars; one guest praised the 'factory tour and tasting'. For more ideas, see a day around Fontanellato.
Parma ham, culatello and culatta side by side, in a curing room a short drive from the castle.
Check dates for the curing-room tastingFrequently asked questions
How far is Rocca Sanvitale from the Labirinto della Masone?
About 5 km: the Labirinto is about 5 km from the centre of Fontanellato, where the castle stands.
Is Rocca Sanvitale open on Tuesdays?
Usually not, but the town's site says it also opens on Tuesdays in April and May.
How much does Rocca Sanvitale cost?
About EUR 10 to 12 for adults, depending on the source. Check the official Rocca site for the current price.
Is there a combined ticket for the Rocca and the Labirinto?
We found none on either official site. The GetYourGuide Labirinto ticket gives a discount at the Rocca.
Ready to book
Choose your visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Labirinto della Masone Full-Day Entry Ticket
- Entry to the labyrinth, the art collection and the temporary exhibition
- In and out all day from the time slot you book
- 5% off Franco Maria Ricci Editore books and a discount at Rocca Sanvitale
Prosciutto, Culatello and Culatta Tasting
- Guided visit of a curing room at La Fattoria di Parma, Sanguinaro (Fontanellato)
- Tasting of Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello and culatta side by side
- About one hour; make your own way there
