Day trip to Parma: what to do?

Parma is a hidden jewel and the Capital of Culture 2020+21. Parma can be visited in one day, but it is not enough to enjoy all its wonders. Let’s see together what you can see in one day!

What to visit

• Start your visit from Piazza del Duomo and the Baptistery. The Duomo is considered to be the most beautiful example of Lombard Romanesque architecture and for the long history of its construction, which began around 1100. In 1526 Correggio painted an extraordinary cycle of frescoes in the great dome, inspired by the theme of the Assumption of the Virgin. The Baptistery, built by Benedetto Antelami at the end of 1100, whose exterior is in pink Verona marble, octagonal in shape (8 and the day of Christ’s resurrection) decorated with a zooforo, a large ring with real and imaginary animals. In Strada del Duomo you can find two ancient and historical bookshops, cornerstones of the city: Oliva Stampe Antiche and Pietro Fiaccadori.

• Not far from the Duomo you will find the Pilotta Complex: the Palace, the Palatina Library, the National Gallery and the Farnese Theater, all accessible with a single ticket. The Palazzo della Pilotta is a monumental complex whose construction was begun in 1583 by Ottavio Farnese who wanted to make it, simply, an appendage of the nearby Palazzo Ducale. The first part to be built was therefore a “Corridore” connecting with a courtyard where Spanish soldiers often played “Pelota”, hence the name. The National Gallery includes a collection made up of paintings purchased in Tuscany from 1734 onwards, those returned home after the French spoliation, and, above all, those acquired by Maria Luigia of Austria, Duchess of Parma and Piacenza from 1816 to 1847 with masterpieces by Correggio, Parmigianino, Leonardo (Head of Leda), El Greco, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, Canaletto and Tiepolo. The Teatro Farnese, was built between 1616 and 1618 in the southern wing, and was used by Duke Ranuccio I Farnese to celebrate Cosimo II de Medici’s stay in Parma. The book patrimony of the Palatina Library is about 800,000 volumes that document the art of engraving from the 15th to the 19th century.

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• Florilegium, in the Church of San Tiburzio, which is no longer a place of worship. The Church is a significant example of Parma Baroque, built by architect Adalberto Dalla Nave in 1722 and completed with additions by architect Pancrazio Soncini a century and a half later. Inside you will find the Florilegium exhibition by British artist Rebecca Louise Law. The installation is literally a natural waterfall in constant and organic change, composed of the cohabitation of 200 thousand flowers, from Achillea millefolium to Tortum.

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• Parco Ducale also known simply as “the garden” or public garden is an essential stop to enjoy the green and relax in the shade of an oak tree away from the summer heat. Inside the park is the Palazzo del Giardino, built in Renaissance style in 1561 on a project by Vignola at the behest of Duke Ottavio Farnese. To be seen then, the Trianon Fountain, realized between 1712 and 1719 by Giuliano Mozzani and allegorically represents the rivers Taro and Parma, placed at the sides of the central shell.

Where to eat

You cannot leave Parma without having tasted the wonders of the territory such as Salame di Felino, Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello di Zibello, Parmigiano Reggiano, Torta Fritta and good Lambrusco. These are some of the most recommended places, it is up to you to choose, which in any case will be excellent.

• Trattoria Corrieri
• Sorelle Picchi
• La cucina del maestro
• Osteria dello zingaro
• Hosteria da Beppe