If you have enjoyed learning about the basics of Parma and you still have a lot of desire and a little time to spend in the city and not in its province, you have a choice of several major attractions. Depending on your interests and curiosity, we will be able to concoct the dream program to spend an unforgettable day in the city centre.
The Chamber of Saint Paul:
between sacred and profane, the ceiling painted by Correggio is an illusory pictorial rebus that is still awaiting a final solution…
The Diocesan Museum:
provides the opportunity to see the original works of Benedetto Antelami and the traces of the past discovered in the basement of Piazza Duomo
Il Museo Archeologico:
with the remains of the Roman Bridge, it testifies to the city’s past, from the beginning of its foundation. Note the Tabula Alimentaria, of fundamental importance, found at Veleia in 1747.
The Palatina Library:
a treasure trove of 18th-century Parmesan knowledge and elegance, enriched with 19th-century rooms and extraordinary collections of illuminated manuscripts, prints and ancient volumes.
The National Gallery:
In addition to the Farnese Theatre, it houses the masterpieces of the territory, the works of Correggio and Parmigianino, the portraits of the Dukes and the “Scapigliata” of Leonardo da Vinci. The museum facility of one of the most important cultural hubs of Emilia-Romagna is very interesting.
The Glauco Lombardi Museum and the Regio Theatre:
the priceless heritage of the Duchess Marie-Louise of Austria, represented by objects of everyday life, furniture and art collections, is gathered at the Glauco Lombardi Museum. The Regio Theatre is the unmissable destination for opera lovers.
The Sepulchre of the Farnese and Bourbons
in the crypt of the Church of the Steccata: the tour of the crypt is part of the exhibition rout of the Constantinian Museum of the Church of the Steccata, which provides a glimpse of the city’s life, linked to the prestigious Constantinian Order of Saint Georges.
The Library of Saint John the Evangelist,
on the first floor of the monastic complex consisting of the cloisters, the grocery and the Saint John Church, gathers together ancient knowledge in a magnificent structure from the second half of the 16th century. A place of meditation and study, it retains a cycle of partially unpublished frescoes to be observed while savouring every detail.
Museums – the Stuard Pinacoteca:
Along a chronological route within the ancient walls of the Benedictine convent of Saint Paul there are exhibits of archaeology pieces, sculptures, paintings, drawings and many other works. The room dedicated to Amedeo Bocchi and the famous “Greyhound” of Parmigianino is remarkable.
The Opera Museum and the House of Sound
These museums testify to Parma’s deep connection with music: while the House of Music houses the Opera Museum, which covers the entire history of opera in Parma from the 17th to the 20th century, the House of Sound provides a curious itinerary through the technological inventions that have allowed reproduction of sound from the end of the 19th century to the present day.
The Oltretorrente,
a popular district rich with history: the Church of Santa Croce on the Via Francigena, the old hospital, the spectacular Annunciation Church.
The Palazzo del Giardino,
a jewel in the centre of the Ducal Park, presents a fabulous cycle of frescoes from the Farnesian period.