he second route to reach the Apennines from Fidenza was the variation through Parma, though half a day's walk longer than the main itinerary.Passing through Parma was however meaningful as the town had been a well-known devotional center since 1005, due to its being the seat of a diocese. The Cathedral and the Baptistery in Parma are among the most outstanding examples of the Romanesque culture in Europe; we owe these masterpieces to Benedetto Antelami, the greatest architect and sculptor of the time. Outside the town walls, the Church of Santa Croce was a reference point for pilgrims, who proceeded then on to Vicofertile where an interesting baptismal font, dating from the early 12th century, is preserved. Collecchio was reached, then the old route climbed uphill to Talignano where a small beautiful parish church stands overlooking the Boschi di Carrega Regional Park. The carved lunette above the portal represents "Psychostasis" or the weighing of souls; this theme is said to have been introduced in the pilgrims' routes by the Franks of the West and this might testify to wider European links. You finally get to Fornovo, a major fluvial junction, well-established since Ligurian times,and then important Roman and Medieval centre. Its parish church is an interesting example of the Romanesque system; here the pilgrims stopped before undertaking the climb to Bardone.