Women entrepreneurs regenerate the Parmense Apennines with yurts, saffron, and antique roses

In the Parmense Apennines spanning the provinces of Parma, Piacenza, and Reggio Emilia, a wave of female entrepreneurship is revitalizing the territory. Simona Terenzio left her secretarial job fifteen years ago to found Agriturismo Ca' Cigolara in Borgotaro, where nine Mongolian yurts offer immersive stays in the Oasi WWF dei Ghirardi. Art historian Chiara Palumbo, who fell in love with a 19th-century mill in Bardi, established B&B Il Pozzo e la Macina, serving breakfast under stone vaults and dinners in a glass greenhouse, and converted the old stable into a risto-bottega for fresh pasta and preserves. Laura Bevilacqua, former graphic editor from Milan, moved to Cappella di San Martino to create Agriturismo Bio Terra Antica with her husband Fabrizio, cultivating organic saffron, orchards, and vegetable gardens, boosting local tourism significantly over twenty years. Architect Clara Ghinassi, formerly a project manager in fashion between Italy and the Netherlands, reclaimed abandoned land in Strela di Compiano to found Verde Strela, a high-altitude nursery growing antique roses and cut flowers, and sells at the Parma market. In the same hamlet, Sara Tambini runs agriturismo Il Cielo di Strela, serving ancient grains and self-produced saffron, while Simona Gambarini raises organic cattle at Azienda Agricola Costalta. These women collaborate to create a virtuous circle of solidarity and innovation in the Val di Taro.