A day in Parma

When you find yourself in the situation of having already seen and re-seen the most famous and renowned Italian and foreign cities and locations, you start looking for innovative tourist ideas .

Among the most underrated Italian cities from this point of view is Parma , a city of 190,000 inhabitants belonging to the Emilia Romagna region.

Good food and important industries and universities give it an image of a certain prestige, even if its relevance from a tourist point of view does not reach very high peaks.

Let's be clear: Parma is a city on a human scale and has a very small historic center, so it is advisable to dedicate no more than one day to its visit, maximum two.

Starting your tour from the Parma train station, just a few steps away you will find yourself immersed in the Piazzale della Pace, an immense green area that rises in front of the majestic Palazzo della Pilotta , a fascinating cluster of buildings. It houses the Palatina Library, three important museums, including the prestigious National Gallery, and finally the famous Farnese Theater (famous because it is made entirely of wood).

Leaving Piazzale della Pace you come across the Church of the Steccata, a modest but fascinating religious building, and one of the most important neoclassical theatres in Italy, the Teatro Regio .

From here, orienting yourself with the road signs present, you can reach Piazza del Duomo in 5 minutes. This square contains the most famous and representative monuments of the city, namely the Duomo and the Baptistery . The dome of the Cathedral, painted by none other than Correggio, is definitely worth a visit, as are the wonderful interiors of the Baptistery. A few steps from these two wonderful architectural examples is the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, also equipped with a dome painted by Correggio but also with frescoes by Parmigianino.

Other places in the city to visit are Piazza Garibaldi, the beating heart of Parma life, and the Parco Ducale, a green area containing the Palazzo Ducale.

For lunch or dinner, you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to excellent quality restaurants, given that the culinary aspect is one of Parma's strong points.

Although it obviously cannot compete with the most fascinating and famous Italian cities, Parma can still be an idea for those who are looking for places that are worthy of note from an artistic and cultural point of view but that are not the usual ones.