Overshadowing even the cathedral, the octagonal pink-marble baptistery on the south side of the piazza is one of the most important such structures in…
Getty Images/Moment Open
Parma
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Parma due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
If reincarnation ever becomes an option, pray you come back as a Parmesan. Where else do you get to cycle to work through streets virtually devoid of cars, lunch on fresh-from-the-attic prosciutto and aged parmigiano reggiano, quaff crisp, refreshing Lambrusco wine in regal art-nouveau cafes, and spend sultry summer evenings listening to classical music in architecturally dramatic opera houses?
Starting from its position as one of Italy's most prosperous cities, Parma has every right to feel smug. More metropolitan than Modena, yet less clamorous than Bologna, this is the city that gave the world a composer called Verdi and enough ham and cheese to start a deli chain. Stopping here isn't an option, it's a duty.
Explore Parma
- Battistero
Overshadowing even the cathedral, the octagonal pink-marble baptistery on the south side of the piazza is one of the most important such structures in…
- Duomo
Another daring Romanesque beauty? Well, yes and no. Consecrated in 1106, Parma has a classic Lombard-Romanesque facade, but inside, the gilded pulpit and…
- LLabirinto della Masone
The opening of the world's largest maze in 2015 fulfilled a lifetime dream of art publisher Franco Maria Ricci, who once published what many considered to…
- GGalleria Nazionale
The Galleria Nazionale displays Parma’s main art collection in dark and ambiently affective environs. Alongside works by local artists Correggio and…
- CCastello di Torrechiara
Magnifico Pier Maria Rossi's impressive Torrechiara Castle is one of the most important examples of Italian castle architecture and is considered one of…
- PPalazzo della Pilotta
Looming over the manicured lawns and modern fountains of Piazza della Pace, this monumental palace is hard to miss. Supposedly named after the Spanish…
- PPiazza del Duomo
Flanked by a harmonious trio of buildings – the duomo, campanile and baptistry – Parma's cathedral square is one of the city's most elegant public spaces.
- AApe Parma Museu
This 2018 addition to Parma's cultural landscape houses the relocated works of Amedeo Bocchi, a 20th-century Parma-born artist whose painting owes a debt…
- PPonte Romano Spazio Aemilia
Parma's Roman Bridge originally dates to 187 BC and re-opened to the public after extensive renovations in 2018. Two of the bridge's 11 arches are now…
Latest Stories from Parma
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Parma.
See
Battistero
Overshadowing even the cathedral, the octagonal pink-marble baptistery on the south side of the piazza is one of the most important such structures in…
See
Duomo
Another daring Romanesque beauty? Well, yes and no. Consecrated in 1106, Parma has a classic Lombard-Romanesque facade, but inside, the gilded pulpit and…
See
Labirinto della Masone
The opening of the world's largest maze in 2015 fulfilled a lifetime dream of art publisher Franco Maria Ricci, who once published what many considered to…
See
Galleria Nazionale
The Galleria Nazionale displays Parma’s main art collection in dark and ambiently affective environs. Alongside works by local artists Correggio and…
See
Castello di Torrechiara
Magnifico Pier Maria Rossi's impressive Torrechiara Castle is one of the most important examples of Italian castle architecture and is considered one of…
See
Palazzo della Pilotta
Looming over the manicured lawns and modern fountains of Piazza della Pace, this monumental palace is hard to miss. Supposedly named after the Spanish…
See
Piazza del Duomo
Flanked by a harmonious trio of buildings – the duomo, campanile and baptistry – Parma's cathedral square is one of the city's most elegant public spaces.
See
Ape Parma Museu
This 2018 addition to Parma's cultural landscape houses the relocated works of Amedeo Bocchi, a 20th-century Parma-born artist whose painting owes a debt…
See
Ponte Romano Spazio Aemilia
Parma's Roman Bridge originally dates to 187 BC and re-opened to the public after extensive renovations in 2018. Two of the bridge's 11 arches are now…
Guidebooks
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