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Parma Attractions
It’s easy to explore Parma on foot, as most of the sights surround Piazza Duomo and Palazzo della Pilotta and are within easy walking distance of the train station.
8 Results
- Religious Site
Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata
This ornate 16th-century church is worth a peek for the impressive fresco cycle painted by Parmigianino between 1530 and 1539, on the arch above the presbytery. It depicts the Biblical parable of the wise and foolish virgins, enhanced with animal and plant motifs set against a red… - Cathedral
Battistero (Baptistery) and Duomo
The moment you walk into the piazza del Duomo, you’re in for a wallop of delightful visual storytelling. To one side rises the elegant baptistery, primarily the work of Italy’s great Romanesque master Benedetto Antelami and begun in 1196. It’s octagonal shape, four open loggias, and… - Religious Site
Camera di San Paolo
San Paolo was one of many well-endowed convents where women of means who for one reason or another could not marry spent their lives in relative comfort. When, around 1519, the cultured abbess Giovanna di Piacenza wanted to fresco her private dining room, she had the means to hire… - Museum
Museo Casa Natale Arturo Toscanini
Toscanini was the greatest orchestral conductor of the first half of the 20th century. This is the house where the maestro was born in 1867, and where he spent his childhood. Today it's crammed with interesting mementos: his famous portrait by Giacomo Grosso (1916), his poncho, desk,… - Museum
Palazzo della Pilotta: Galleria Nazionale
Like many Italian cities, Parma became a great center of the Renaissance under the stewardship of one family, the Farneses, whose members included popes, cardinals, and the dukes of Parma. They began their fortresslike Palazzo della Pilotta in the 1580s and remained there until the… - Park/Garden
Parco Ducale and the Palazzo Ducale
The gravel paths, wide lawns, and splashing fountains of the Parco Ducale, across the river from the Palazzo Pilotta, provide a tranquil retreat from Parma's more crowded areas. The main attraction here is the stately Palazzo Ducale, which was transformed into a posh residence by… - Religious Site
San Giovanni Evangelista
Behind the Duomo is this dimly lit, atmospheric church with a soaring campanile. After admiring the baroque facade, pass into the interior to see yet another cupola by Correggio. From 1520 to 1524, the High Renaissance master depicted the Vision of San Giovanni. Vasari, author of… - Theater
Teatro Reggio
Besides collecting art in the Palazzo della Pilotta, Duchess Marie-Louise also enriched Parma’s cultural life in 1829 by building the Teatro Reggio. Still considered one of the world’s finest music theaters, it hosts an opera season that rivals Milan’s. Particularly favored are the…
Parma Shopping
Parma's most famous food product -- parmigiano (Parmesan) cheese, the best being Parmigiano-Reggiano -- is savored all over the world. Virtually every corner market sells thick wedges of the stuff, but if you're looking to buy your cheese in a special setting, head for the Salumeria Garibaldi, Via Garibaldi 42 (tel. 0521-235606). You might also take a walk through the city's food market at Piazza Ghiaia, near the Palazzo della Pilota; it's open Monday through Saturday 8am to 1pm and 3 to 7pm.
Hoping to learn more about the region's famous hams and cheeses? There are well-funded bureaucracies in Parma whose sole functions are to encourage the world to use greater quantities of the city's tastiest products. They can arrange tours and visits to the region's most famous producers. For information about Parma cheeses, contact the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano, Via dei Mercati 9 (tel. 0521-292700). For insights into the dressing and curing of Parma hams, contact the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, Via dell'Arpa 8B (tel. 0521-246211).
Enoteca Fontana, Via Farina 24A (tel. 0521-286037), sells bottles from virtually every vineyard in the region, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable.
Parma Nightlife
Life in Parma extends beyond munching on strips of salty ham and cheese. The Teatro Regio, Via Garibaldi 16, near Piazza della Pace (tel. 0521-039399), is the site of concerts and splendid operas throughout the year.
If you'd like to sample a glass or two of great wine, head for the bar section of a spot recommended in the "Where to Dine" section, above: the Enoteca Fontana, Strada Farini 24A (tel. 0521-286037).
At Bacco Verde, Via Cavalloti 33 (tel. 0521-230487), sandwiches, glasses of beer, and a wide selection of Italian wines are dispensed in a cramped but convivial setting ringed with antique masonry.
In the mood for dancing? Head for Dadaumpa, Via Emilio Lepido 48 (tel. 0521-483813), a stylish and lighthearted venue for European and New World dance tunes.
