It is the least populous comune in Emilia-Romagna, the westernmost and the highest in the Piacenza area — but it reached this region late. Napoleon annexed it to France along with Liguria; in 1848 it went with Piedmont, in 1859 it ended up in the province of Pavia and so in Lombardy, and only in 1923, when the district of Bobbio was broken up, did it come to Piacenza.
Legend has it founded by deserters from Hannibal's army, at the time of the battle of the Trebbia, and for that reason some link the name to the island of Djerba; a mule track here is still called Hannibal's road. More probably Zerba comes from «gerbo», uncultivated scrubland. The village has no single centre: it is made of scattered quarters, and the town hall stands in the one called Villa Scarbione.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
Near Zerba
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Places to see within 25 km
Outside Zerba, but an easy day trip away.