The most significant places, the most exclusive flavors combined in a summer Parmesan tour.

The tour starts in the morning from Piazza del Duomo, visiting the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta that welcomes you with its elegant coolness. Inside the huge space of the church, it will be possible to admire the “Deposition” by the famous medieval sculptor Antelami and the incredible dome frescoed by Antonio Allegri. The itinerary continues stepping out, walking in the shadow of the cathedral large apse, to visit the nearby Monastery of San Giovanni Evangelista and its church, first example of Renaissance religious building in the city

The next stop is in the beating heart of Parma: Piazza Garibaldi. Ancient Roman forum, it is now characterized by different buildings. Your guide will illustrate their particular history and structure while you, why not?, will taste a delicious ice cream!

Your walk continues towards the Basilica della Steccata, the Teatro Regio and the Pilotta Complex to finish among the most characteristic alleys of the city, sitting at the table of a shady dehors, ready for the guided tasting of our food excellence: Parmigiano-Reggiano; Parma ham; Culatello di Zibello and to toast with a fresh glass of Malvasia wine. So good!

A half day to discover and experience Parma, is it enough?

The exhibition “OPERA, the stage of the society” welcomes you with soft lights and the bright colours of the paintings housed in, first of all the Vespri Siciliani by Hayez.

Items displayed in the sober rooms of the Governor’s Palace (Palazzo del Governatore) inspire some consideration and numerous thematic paths.

The key word is in the title: OPERA.

A genre of entertainment strictly bound to the people, especially with the Italian one.

The exhibition touches different sides - social, political, musical, scenographic, cinematographic of a kind of art born inside theatres but that comes then out of them to represent the city of Parma in the world.

Visitors can see archive photos, models of scenic machinery, sheet music, billboards, ancient sketches and, as a touch of lightness, marvellous costumes. They were worn by the most famous singers whose divine voices have been the real stars of the Opera.

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The bond between Renata Tebaldi and Parma started off rather early.
Although born in Pesaro on 1 February 1922, the future famous soprano spent her entire childhood in Langhirano, Parma. 
At the age of 17, she began studying and singing at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma.
A path that, despite being her mother against a future on the stage for her, allowed her to be already performing on Regio Theatre’s stage in 1945.
It was the beginning of a love story between the sapphire-eyed soprano and the velvet voice, and the Parmesan music lovers, who will always call her, simply, Renata.

"Voice of an angel": this is how Arturo Toscanini defined it in 1946, after having conducted her in Verdi's "Te Deum" for the reopening concert of La Scala in Milan, putting his seal on the career of one of the most famous opera voices in the world.
Some time later, the arrival in Italian theatres and in particular at La Scala, of another famous singer, Maria Callas, gave rise to a rivalry which Renata decided to escape from, agreeing to work in the United States. The overseas public immediately followed her in large numbers, so much so that she was affectionately called "Miss Sold Out".
Her poodle, New II, also became very popular. He was used to accompany her vocalizations with whines (obviously in tune), which Renata performed to warm her voice up before going on stage.
Renata conquered America, who rewarded her with a star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame".

Her last performance at the Regio Theatre in Parma was in 1962. She sang La Bohème, directed by Arturo Basile, one of her troublesome loves.
The third act, when the soprano sings the agony of abandonment, definitively conquered the audience of Parma. The personal stories of the artist emerged in the song, touching the hearts of the entire theatre.

After a year of resting time, Tebaldi returned to the stage right at the Met.
Not only did her ancient rival Maria Callas send her a telegram of encouragement but, at the end of the show, she went behind the scenes to greet her.
A gesture that marked the definitive reconciliation between the two divas.

Her farewell to the stage was a triumph too. It took place in 1976 at La Scala, with an unforgettable charity concert in support of the earthquake victims of Friuli.

A woman of great class, during her life she collected photos, jewels, clothes, memories of an extraordinary career: they are now housed in the "Renata Tebaldi" Museum, at the Villa Pallavicino Stables, Busseto. The hometown of Giuseppe Verdi, who she loved so much.

Music, opera, passions that have deep roots in our territory. If you want to know more, find out about our itineraries MUSICAL WALKS IN THE CITY or VERDIAN ITINERARIES

The Ricci-Oddi modern art gallery recently rose to prominence after the discovery of the Portrait of a Lady by Gustav Klimt, stolen from the collection in 1997.

Opened to the public in 1931, it tells us a story of pure love and passion for contemporary art. It is housed in the building on purpose created by its founder, Giuseppe Ricci Oddi, as a "temple" dedicated to contemporary authors not or little known at the time.

Today visitors can enjoy an overview of Italian and European art from the Romantic period to the 1940s.

Among the artists: Fattori, Hayez, Signorini, Bocchi, Boldini, Boccioni, De Pisis, Sartorio, Segantini… and the recovered Klimt, one of the only 3 paintings by the Austrian artist on the Italian peninsula.

In the evocative rooms of the former Gallotti furnace, a very interesting museum has found a home. It takes us to the ancient Bologna, now disappeared, that survives in an industry that is still prosperous and innovative.

We are talking about the silk industry, which developed in the city between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries thanks to the abundance of water (canals, underground rivers) and the Bolognese creativity.

In the dedicated section, as in a journey back in the past, you can admire a working silk mill replica powered by water wheels, essential to provide the energy needed for production. A true masterpiece of innovation and inventiveness.

On the ground floor, where the 16 brick ovens were located, models and machines from the oldest technical institute in the city are exhibited. A tangible demonstration of the different areas in which the Bolognese industry has been able to develop: starting from ice cream to get to sport cars.

The monk Donizone, Matilda from Tuscany’s biographer, recounts an episode: the German Emperor-to-be Henry III asked to taste the famous “balm” he had heard about. So the Bonifacio Lord of Canossa (Reggio Emilia) – Matilda’s father - sent a little silver barrel with the precious product to Henry during his stopover in Piacenza. And this happened in 1046!

Visiting today a vinegar house (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar) is a unique experience. And it is a privilege to be able to tell about the patience, the passion and the bond with the land that this product carries with it. It is the magic of waiting that is released after decades in flavours thick of memories: woods, fruit, grapes, time…

You cannot say you know about Italian food if you have never visited a vinegar house. Our guides will be able to lead you into this world with their narration and a guided tasting of this magic product in its different grades of maturation (at least 12, 20 and 25 years!!).

The Reggio Emilia territory is a chest filled with a precious food treasure: Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar in the front line followed by a large number of other products.

Visiting a cheese dairy or a vinegar house opens the door to a marvelous world made up of ancient traditions and of a unique know how handed down from a generation to another during centuries.

Our guides know all the steps that lead to the creation of these local treasures and will be happy to share them with you

Moreover, to fully enjoy the tastes and flavors of the Reggio area, you cannot miss a snack or a meal based on these other specialties: erbazzone (sort of herb pie), scarpazzone (the mountain variant in which rice is added), salami with gnocco (local baked or fried focaccia), tortelli stuffed with herbs, pumpkin or potatoes, sweet and sour little onions from Boretto and a glass of local Lambrusco.

It is well known that Parma with its 3 extraordinary PDOs (Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and Culatello di Zibello) is the heart of the foodvalley.

It is also known that since 2015 it has been named Unesco Creative City for Gastronomy. Therefore in the town cultural program for September an event related to food can not be missing.

"Gastronomic September" is a month of in-depth analysis on PDO Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma, pasta, tomato, milk with dairy products and anchovies. A widespread event that will involve the restaurateurs of the city, challenged to propose and reinvent dishes based on these excellences.

The debut will be marked Cibus OFF, an off-site event and a natural introduction to CIBUS, the international agri-food fair that returns to open its doors to Italian and foreign operators.

This gastronomic event will intertwine with musical and theatrical ones.

Dinners - shows, dances, the reopening of the Verdi Festival and the Parma City of Music project will offer a worthy setting for a Gastronomic September.

For those curious about food, an opportunity to investigate the special link between this territory, its people and its products joining our personalized food and wine tours.

On the 7th of July at seven p.m. the challenge of FICO, the Italian Farming Factory born in 2017 on the outskirts of Bologna, is renewed.

Based on (obviously) seven thematic areas of agri-food, the new Disneyland for foodies was born with a mission: to help people appreciate Italian food and wine excellences while they’re having fun.

Multisensory experiences, food-centered attractions, farm animals, all managed by 60 operators in the sector, are ready to be enjoyed by FICO visitors.

Riding a Sicilian cannoli, taking a tour inside a wheel of cheese ... it doesn't happen often!

Along the four valleys that connect the Apennines to the plain, the three PDOs that make the local gastronomy famous are produced: coppa, pancetta and salami.

This fact alone would be enough to justify a visit to these lands, but that is not all.

The Piacenza hills are in fact producers of excellent D.O.C. wines that have their ancient roots in local history, from the Etruscans to the Romans.

Among the whites, Ortrugo stands out, among the reds, Gutturnio, while the sweet Vin Santo is produced in Vigoleno.

Our gourmet tours are journeys into flavours that are the result of old local traditions and could be combined with dedicated historical and artistic visits.