Visit Parma
Parma is a wealthy, bustling town between Modena and Fidenza in the Emilia-Romagna region.
The fame of the town rests on its two great food products - parmesan cheese and parma ham are both highly reputed around the world.
The city itself also has a great deal to offer, including some of the finest buildings and monuments in northern Italy. the heart of the city radiates from Piazza Garibaldi.
The three highlights of the town are all close together, and comprise the cathedral, the baptistry, and the San Giovanni Evangelista church. For each of these, especially Correggios painting in the cathedral, it is above all the stunning frescoes and highly decorated interiors that is the big attraction (although it is rather difficult to make head or tail of the different characters in the swirling painting!). Yet more stunning frescoes can be seen in the Santa Maria della Staccata church, this time by Parmigianino.
There are two very interesting museums in Parma: the National gallery, which includes works by El Greco and Fra Angelico, among others; and the National Museum of Archaeology. Both museums are found in the Palazzo Pilotta, as is the impressive Teatro Farnese, a wooden structured copy of Palladios theatre in Vicenza. The palazzo itself is on the Piazza della Pace, a large open grassy area with a sprinkling of fountains.
The large gardens alongside the river are a pleasant place for a stroll, and date from the 16th century. Notably, if you are a music lover, Toscanini was born at Casa Natale di Toscanini at the southern corner of the park. Likewise, music lovers wont want to miss the opera if something is playing during your visit - the opera house is one of the finest in Italy.
In addition to all this splendour, find time to explore the narrow backstreets of Parma, before heading for some of the many fashionable boutiques and restaurants, which will tempt all remaining funds out of your credit cards