Things to do in Parma
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Trattoria Corrieri
Eat on the patio under a leafy trellis, or in the labyrinth of rustically decorated interior rooms at this convivial trattoria, under the same ownership as Gallo d’Oro. Everything’s top quality –from the tris di tortelli (pasta pockets with three different stuffings) to the torta di cioccolato e pere (pear-chocolate cake) for dessert.
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Piazza del Duomo
From the outside, Parma’s Duomo, consecrated in 1106, is classic Lombard-Romanesque. Inside, the gilded pulpit and ornate lamp-holders all scream baroque bombast. But there are some genuine treasures here: up in the dome, Antonio Correggio’s Assunzione della Vergine (Assumption of the Virgin) is a kaleidoscopic swirl of cherubims and whirling angels, while down in the southern transept, Benedetto Antelami’s Deposizione (Descent from the Cross; 1178) relief is considered a masterpiece of its type.
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Battistero
Antelami was responsible for the octagonal pink-marble battistero on the south side of the piazza del duomo. Combining Romanesque and Gothic styles, it features some of Antelami’s best work, including a celebrated set of figures representing the months, seasons and signs of the zodiac. Work began on the baptistry in 1196 but wasn’t completed until 1307 thanks to several interruptions, most notably when the supply of pink Verona marble ran out.
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Galleria Nazionale
Tthe Galleria Nazionale displays Parma’s main art collection. Alongside works by local artists Correggio and Parmigianino, you’ll find paintings by Fra Angelico, Canaletto and El Greco. Before you get to the gallery, though, you’ll pass through the Teatro Farnese, a copy of Andrea Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. Constructed entirely out of wood, it was almost completely rebuilt after being bombed in WWII.
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Dal Teo
Bored with his day job, the enterprising Teo convinced his mum to help him open a pizzeria, using the same recipe he adored as a child. Mum is up at 4am making dough, and Teo takes care of the rest. Just across the bridge from Parma’s historic centre, it’s a popular hangout for evening beers and conversation, as well as for its incomparably delicious pizza crust – thick, light and crunchy all at once.
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Palazzo della Pilotta
Looming over Piazza della Pace's manicured lawns and modern fountains, the monumental Palazzo della Pilotta is hard to miss. Supposedly named after the Spanish ball game of pelota that was once played within its walls, it was originally built for the Farnese family between 1583 and 1622. Heavily bombed in WWII, it has since been largely rebuilt and today houses several museums.
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Cathedral of Parma
One of Parma's many visit-worthy churches, the cathedral (Duomo di Parma) has a deceptive face - its classically restrained Lombard-Romanesque façade hides a gilded confection of high baroque bombast. However, individual frescoes and sculptures rise above the frippery. Look up to the dome for a 16th-century masterwork - Correggio's Assumption of the Virgin.
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Lombardi Museum
Of all Parma's rulers, Marie Louise of Austria is most beloved in her petite capitale. Napoleon's second wife, she embraced her little domain after brief tenure as Empress of France. Some of her belongings are in this recently revamped museum (Museo Glauco Lombardi), courtesy of an eponymous local collector. His miscellany illuminates Parma's long history.
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Farnese Theatre
Rebuilt to original plans after WWII bombing, this theatre (Teatro Farnese) is almost entirely made out of wood. The great Monteverdi, frustrated by the theatre's acoustic problems before its inaugural event in 1628, was forced to put his orchestra in a pit below the stage - long before 19th-century composer Wagner established this modern practice.
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Gallo d'Oro
Vintage magazine covers and artfully placed wine bottles lend the Gallo d’Oro a very agreeable bistro feel. But it’s not all image: this is one of Parma’s best trattorias serving consistently good Emilian cuisine. For proof, dig into a bowl of delicious tortelli di erbetta (pasta stuffed with ricotta and herbs). Booking is recommended.
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Osteria dei Mascalzoni
Cosy inside and out, this restaurant features a beamed dining room and outdoor tables that take over the adjacent alleyway on warm summer evenings. The menu emphasises grilled meat, plus an excellent selection of Parma’s famous cheeses and pork products, including culatello,fiocchetto and of course prosciutto.
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Piazza Garibaldi
On the site of the ancient Roman forum, Piazza Garibaldi is a lively hub bisected by Parma's main east-west artery, Via Mazzini, and its continuation, Strada della Repubblica. On the square's north side, the façade of the 17th-century Palazzo del Governatore, these days municipal offices, sports a giant sundial, added in 1829.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria della Steccata
Behind the Palazzo del Governatore in the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Steccata, you’ll find some of Parmigianino’s most extraordinary work, notably the stunning, if rather faded, frescoes on the arches above the altar. Many members of the ruling Farnese and Bourbon families lie buried here.
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Museo di Glauco Lombardi
The Museo di Glauco Lombardi has a miscellaneous collection of clothes, paintings, furniture and historical knick-knacks. Many of the exhibits once belonged to Marie-Louise of Austria, who ruled Parma following her husband Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
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Casa Natale di Toscanini
Casa Natale di Toscanini is the birthplace of Italy’s greatest modern conductor, Arturo Toscanini (1867–1957).
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Hostaria da Beppe
People drive from far and wide to taste Beppe's house speciality - risotto with osso bucco. For a fruity variation on the theme, you can tuck into risotto with lemon or strawberry. The osteria is over the river from the historic centre.
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Parco Ducale
Stretching along the west bank of the Parma, the formal gardens of the Parco Ducale were laid out in 1560 around the Farnese family’s Palazzo Ducale, which now serves as headquarters of the provincial carabinieri (military police).
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Salumeria Garibaldi
Stock up on edible goodies at Salumeria Garibaldi, a bountiful delicatessen with dangling sausages, shelves of Lambrusco wines, slabs of Parma ham and wheel upon wheel of parmigiano reggiano.
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Salumeria Verdi
Stock up on edible goodies at Salumeria Garibaldi bountiful delicatessens with dangling sausages, shelves of Lambrusco wines, slabs of Parma ham and wheel upon wheel of parmigiano reggiano.
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Teatro Regio
Parma’s opera, concert and theatre season runs from October through April. Teatro Regio offers a particularly rich program of music and opera, even by exacting Italian standards.
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Angiol d'Or
Book a table among the pot plants at this refined restaurant and you get the best of all worlds - fine, regional cooking, an impressive wine list and a great view of Parma's pink baptistry.
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Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista
East of Piazza del Duomo, the 16th-century Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista is noted for its magnificent frescoed dome, the work of Correggio, and a series of frescoes by Francesco Parmigianino.
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Museo Diocesano
In the cellars of the former bishop’s palace, the Museo Diocesano statues are displayed. Highlights include a finely sculpted Solomon and Sheba and a 5th-century early Christian mosaic, which was discovered under Piazza del Duomo.
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Monastery
The Monastery adjoining the Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista is known as much for the oils and unguents that its monks produce, as for its Renaissance cloisters.
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Museo Archeologico Nazionale
For a change of period, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale exhibits Roman artefacts discovered around Parma and Etruscan finds from the Po valley.
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