Visit to the town of Parma - « Back to Tours

Parma (170.000 inhabitants), seat of an Emilian province, lies in a plain 52 m above sea level along the Via Emilia, and it is crossed in the middle by the Parma creek. 
A city of noble cultural and musical traditions, it is rich of artworks, witnessing its glorious past as an European capital. With its ancient university, Parma is above all an active commercial and agricultural center, famous in the world for its flourishing food industry, producing the renowned Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Parma ham.

The Baptistry in Parma

A visit to Parma must definatly include a visit to the suggestive Cathedral square, where the Baptistry and the Bishop's Palace create a medieval scene of rare, suggestive beauty. The Cathedral ( Xl-Xll centiuries) iso ne of the most important examples of Roman, Po Valley architecturen with its splendid bell-shaped facade and latin-cross layout. The interior is full of works of art the most famous being the dome with frescoes by Correggio ( Antonio Allegri), the Asumption of the Virgin ( 1526-1539) and The Deposition, the first dated work by Benedetto Antelami (1178). Antelami's stampi s even mor prominent in the Baptistry, built in pink marble from Verona on an octagonal layout. The artist himself directed the building works and carried out nearly all of the excellent plastic decoration.

Situated just a few meters from the cathedral is San Giovanni Evangelista, a Renaissance building ( with a baroque facade and bell tower) that is home to important works of art including the dome representing the Transito of San Giovanni, frescoed by Coreggio in 1520-1521 and some frescoes by Parmigianino (Francesca Mazzola) in the arches of the three chapels. It i salso well worth visiting the Monstery of San Giovanni with its charming Renaissance cloisters and the Ancient benedictine pharmacy.

Works by Parmigianino can also be seen in the Madonna della Steccata Church. The most valuable treasure in this splendid Renaissance building is most certainly the decorative cycle found in the presbetery, a work by Mazzola, carried out between 1530 and 1539 following the evangelical theme of the wise and the insane Virgins. A further work by the 6th century master, Coreggio, can be found in the Camera di San Paolo: the vault of the Abbess Giovanna Piacenza was frescoed by the artist in 1519 in the form of an allegorical arbor mindful of Mantegna and Leonardo. It is one of the most important products of the late, Italian, Renaissance period.

The Pilotta Palace

The impressive Palazzo Pilotta is situated in the centre of the town, just a short distance from the Camera di San Paolo. It is home to the Palatina Library, the National Archeological Museum, the  wooden Farnese Theatre ( one of the most beautiful historical theatres in the world, the Bodoniano Museum and the National Gallery, one of the most important Italian galleries, home to works by Correggio, Parmigianino, Beato Angelico, Leonardo, Cima da Conegliano, El Greco, Van Dyck, Carracci, Sebastiano del Piombo, Tiepolo, Canaletto and many more. Nearby is the Regio Theatre, amongst the most prestigious in Italy, testimony to the close ties between the town of Parma and opera music. There are numerous traditional and avant gard  theatres offering Seasons of prose, ballet and concert music.

Regio Theatre

Parma has all this and lots more. Visitors should certainly visit the Parco Ducale gardens, a splendid example of “french” gardens with sculptures by Jean Baptiste Boudard  that surround the Palazzo Ducale, the Town Hall the Palazzo del Governatore, the Lombardi Museum ( with memorabilia belonging to Maria Luigia and Napoleone). The Stuard Gallery, the Churches of Sant’ Antonio, San Sepolcro, Annunciata and Santa Maria Quartiere, the birthplace of Arturo Toscanini, the Casa della Musica, The Castello dei Burattini( with its collection of Ferraris)the Auditorium paganini and the Certosa di Paradigna ( just outside the town).

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