Things to do in Parme Italy – what to see attractions and activities

Museums

Museo Paleontologico Parmense

The Parmenese Paleontological Museum is located at the Department of Earth of the University of Parma. It was set up to present the history of the Earth to the public. Inside it preserves a large collection of objects dating back to the creation of the Earth, about 500,000 pieces, including fossils that belong to different species. The museum is open to the public.

Museums

Pinacoteca Stuard

The art gallery, since 2002, has its headquarters in the old monastery of São Paulo. Inside it houses more than 200 works dating from the 14th century to the 19th century, including different types of paintings, images of famous people over the years: a collection of great value. The art gallery is open to public visits.

Theaters

Teatro Regio

Built in 1821, the theater was born from the love for music of Duchess Maria Luigia. The inauguration of the theater was done after eight years of work, in 1829. Located in the center of the city, the theater has a neoclassical construction divided into four parts; the porch, the windows, the window and the gable. Inside, the chandelier, also used today, is that of 1853. In the mid-19th century the theater was classified as a luxury asset and economically not accepted by the community. For this reason it was sold to the Municipality of Parma.

Museums

Casa e Museo di Arturo Toscanini

In 1867 Arturo Toscanini was born in Parma, who would go down in history as the greatest conductor of all time. It came to light in a humble home in the then hamlet San Giacomo, a popular neighborhood. Today it is a museum open to the public with documents and objects donated by the Toscanini family. Objects and documents of absolute rarity are visible in the museum.

Churches and places of worship

Battistero

It is located next to the cathedral of Parma and is considered a fusion between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Construction began in 1216 and ended in 1270. The exterior is built of marble and has an octagonal shape that is a symbol of eternity. The elements that compose it are Roman, however, the arrangement was made in a typically Gothic way.

Cultural centers

Accademia Nazionale di Belle Arti

The Academy was founded in the middle of the 18th century by F. di Bourbon. At first it had the function of a painting school, over the years it was expanded, until the current state of a state art school (that of Paolo Toschi) and performs its function. It is located on the ground floor of the building and is managed by M. Dall'Acqua.

Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Ducale

The Doge's Palace was built in 1561 at the behest of Duke Ottavio Farnese and was the seat of the ducal court until the second half of the '600. It represents the symbol of the city of Parma and is one of the most fascinating monuments of Italian art. The initial construction carried the signature of Jacopo Baruzzi, known as the Vignola. During the 18th century, construction work was carried out by Ennemond Petitot to give it a more classic look. From the 800 to the present day, the Palace has not undergone substantial changes.

Castles, palaces and mansions

Castello di Panocchia

Walls, towers and gates

Torre del Vescovado

The Episcopal Palace of the city of Parma, a complex to which the tower also belongs, dates back to 1045-1055. Until 1172 the complex did not undergo restoration, but, around the middle of 1200, the first began by Bishop Bernard II. The current form is the original one of the '900 despite the considerable changes. The Tower is easily accessible in the city thanks to its central location, in the historic center, precisely in Piazza Duomo.

Castles, palaces and mansions

Cittadella Porta Sud

The citadel is located in the city of Parma. It was built in the 16th century by engineers Giovanni Antonio Stirpio and Genesio Bresciani. The monument consists of two entrances: the main entrance, which is located to the north is built with Carrara marble, and the other entrance, the outside one, the Gate of Soccorso. Over time, between the 20th and 21st centuries the building was modified, renovated and today became a public park.

Bridges

Rocchetta e Ponte Verdi

The original installation of the bridge is certainly not the same as when it was built, but the documents for the first stone structure are dated around 1278. Over the years it has undergone several renovations: lastly, that of 1903, which gave a new look to the bridge. Rocchetta was the tower from where the whole activity was controlled, but it was knocked down at the beginning of the 20th century, during the last restoration by the mayor of the time.

Churches and places of worship

Duomo

One of the most important churches of Romanesque architecture in Italy, the the Cathedral of Parma has been built between the eleventh and twelfth century, in a location near the ancient Roman city walls. Wonderful and worthy of particular note is it

Churches and places of worship

Chiesa di San Vitale

One of the oldest churches in the center of the medieval city, it was originally built in the eleventh century and then later in the seventeenth century it has been entirely rebuilt. Inside a beautiful chapel of Our Lady of Constantinople.

Churches and places of worship

San Francesco del Prato

Built in the thirteenth century, a Gothic church extending in length more than the Cathedral itself, it was the ancient seat of the Franciscans, over the centuries it became one of the most important church in the city of Parma.

Churches and places of worship

S.S. Annunziata

Outside the walls of the old town, after crossing the Ponte di Mezzo just few meters away from the river, rises from 1566 the church of SS. Annunziata, one of the most important monuments of mannerism.

Museums

Pinacoteca "G. Stuard"

The Giuseppe Stuard Art Gallery is located inside the Palazzo San Tiburzionel, in the municipality of Parma and is one of the most important in the area. Inside we find a large collection of works, furnishings, archaeological finds and many paintings from the XIII-XX century. in art and for those who want to visit one of the most important and well-known monuments in the city.

Museums

La Collezione Borsari 1870

The Borsari Collection is located inside the Palazzo Borsari, which dates back to 1930. It is one of the most important museums in the area, the only one of its kind, the first Italian perfumery museum. The Borsari collection houses single-dose products that date back to 1870, the year in which the Museum was founded.

Museums

Museo Bodoniano

The museum was inaugurated in 1963, after 7 years of management, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Bodoni's death. Initially, it was a national center on graphic arts. In 1944, the library was destroyed by the bombings, only a trunk containing the technical and bibliographic material was saved. In 1957, work was resumed at the Museum with the task of bringing the project to an end. In 1963, after legal recognition, the museum was opened to the public.

Museums

Museo Archeologico Nazionale

The National Archaeological Museum is located at the Palazzo della Pilotta built in Parma in 1760. The Museum currently occupies two floors, in the first there are the local and not velteous collections, on the ground floor there is the prehistoric, protohistoric section and the section dedicated to Parma.

Museums

Museo Glauco Lombardi -"Maria Luigia e Napoleone"

The Museum “Maria Luigia and Napoleon”, also known as Glauco Lombardo, is located in Piazza della Pace in the municipality of Parma. It was established thanks to the will of Glauco Lombardi and exposes to the public a collection of the enormous artistic heritage of Duchess Maria Luigia and Napoleon. The large private collection of items contains: furniture, paintings, jewelry and professional tools.

Museums

Museo "A. Bocchi"

The Amedeo Bocchi Museum is dedicated to Amedeo Bocchi, an artist of absolute importance in Italian art of the twentieth century. The Museum was born from the desire to promote the knowledge of the painter by making visible to the public the most considerable paintings of his production. This has recently been re-set up by creating a predominantly chronological path that allows to follow in a more engaging way the evolution of Bocchi's artistic life.

Museums

Museo di Anatomia degli Animali di interesse medico-veterinario

The Museum of the Anatomy of Animals of Medical-Veterinary Interest Section of Parma was established in 1848. The museum's heritage amounts to 566 finds that include skeletons of animals of different species and sizes and anatomical veterinary preparations, numerous of which are presented “dry”.

Museums

Castello dei Burattini

The Puppet Museum was born in the former convent of São Paulo, in 2002. The gallery hosts the most important collection of the animation theater in Italy created by Giordano Ferrari's collection with 1500 pieces: puppets, puppets, photographs, scripts, posters and other objects of the show. Added to this collection are the collection of the “Gruppo 80", by the engineer Amilcare Adamoli and the heritage of journalist F.Cristofori, donated by the family after his death with 1000 puppet objects and 134 envelopes of documents, important testimonies about the world of show business.

Museums

Casa Natale di A. Toscanini

The Birthplace of Arturo Toscanini was transformed into a museum in 1967 on the occasion of the 100th year of its birth. The house inside has small rooms with low ceilings. The documents are displayed chronologically so as to pursue the long career of the conductor. You can also admire its original instruments.

Churches and places of worship

Oratorio di Sant'Ilario

The Oratory dates back to 1663 and is accessible from the loggia of Palazzo Vecchio. Inside, it is divided into three naves, separated by grooved columns in stucco and is enriched by frescoes decorations, the work of Giovanni Maria Conti, which cover the lunettes with flower motifs and fruits, in addition to the depictions of Saints and Blesseds of the city. In the Oratory there is the tomb of Rodolfo Tanzi, knight of the Teutonic Order and benefactor, who founded the city institution of the Hospital of Misericordia.

Churches and places of worship

Abbazia di San Giovanni Evangelista

It 's the most important monastic complex in the city of Parma, including a church, the monastery and the old pharmacy. Built in the tenth century on a previous speaker, it was entirely rebuilt after the fire of 1477.

Churches and places of worship

Santa Maria della Steccata

Located in a position almost adjacent to the central square Garibaldi, the beautiful church founded in 1521 is one of the finest examples of churches of central plane of the first half of the XVI.

Walls, towers and gates

Torrione di Beneceto

The Tower dates back to the fifteenth century and was inhabited only until 1481. It is a structure of 12 meters high, covered by a pitched roof, typical elements of the late Middle Ages. Over the years he underwent several restorations that gave him the present appearance and a good state of preservation. At this time the building is privately owned and run by an agricultural estate, but it is still available to all interested parties

Castles, palaces and mansions

Torrione Valeri di Baganzola

It dates back to the 15th century and was built for defensive reasons. It has been owned by the Valeri family for several years. Over the years it has undergone a deep restoration, which gave it its current appearance. Today it is private property, but it is also very easily visible from the street.

Walls, towers and gates

Porta San Francesco

Built in 1261, the door took its name from the street in which it was located. The story tells that the saint has passed from this very area. In 1562 the door was reopened at the behest of Duke Ottavio Farnese. Later in the 90s it was also restored to bring it to its original form. The monument is easily accessible either by car, by public transport or on foot.

Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzo Pigorini

Even if the building date was built around 1767, from the architectural structure it is assumed that the building is even older. The palace was known for having given birth to two famous personalities: the poet Angelo Mazza and the explorer Vittorio Bottego, in honor of whom on the building we find the two tombstones, precisely on the facade. Today the building is the seat of the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Parma and, often, also an exhibition space for various exhibitions in the locality.

Museums

Antica Spezieria di San Giovanni

The Ancient Spezieria di San Giovanni is of very ancient origin, documented since 1201 it is located inside the Abbey of San Giovanni Evangelista of Parma, a religious complex. The latter was modified in 1766 by the will of Guillaume du Tillot, separating and making autonomous the interiors of the monastery from those of the pharmacy. The spice shop was entrusted to the apectials Luigi Gardoni, his son and grandson. The Antica Spezieria consists of 4 rooms: fire room, mortar room, mermaid room and workshop.

Fountains

Fontana del Trianon

The Fountain is located in the city of Parma. The sculpture was designed by the architect Giuliano Mozzani. It is also known as the Fountain of Parma and is located in the Ducal Garden in Parma. The Garden surrounds the fourteenth-century castle and is located in the historic center. The birth of the park was due to Ottavio Farnese in 1561. On the occasion of the wedding of his son, Odoardo Farnese, Ranuccio II Farnese had a large fish pond dig in front of the villa in 1690. Only in 1920 was the Fountain of Trianon located in the garden, which depicts the Parma and Taro rivers.

Monuments

Scultura e Fontana di Cascella

The Sculpture and Fountain by Pietro Cascella are a work of the homonymous artist. It was the property of Pietro Barilla, who gave it a gift to the city. In 1994 the plant was installed in Piazza Santa Croce where it then suffered serious damage due to various road accidents.

Castles, palaces and mansions

Palazzetto Eucherio Sanvitale Giardino Pubblico

The Palazzetto Eucherio Sanvitale is located inside the Parco Ducale di Parma. It was built on Renaissance forms in 1520 by Giorgio da Erba. Inside we can admire some frescoes by Parmigianino such as the “Madonna with Child” and an oil on the wall with scenes from the “Life of the Virgin” of a late Mannerist with landscapes from the end of 1500. The building is among the most visited monuments in the city.

Parks and nature reserves

Orto Botanico

It is a historic garden that is located inside the historic center of Parma and is currently managed by the University of Parma. The ancient garden was founded in 1630 by Duke Ranuccio I Farnese. Nowadays inside it you can admire numerous rare species of their kind. Another feature is its typical English structure.

Churches and places of worship

Santa Maria delle Grazie

In the ancient Oltretorrente and near Ponte di Mezzo, there is this church built in 1617, as headquarters of the brotherhood of the Stigmata St. Francis. Inside there is a wonderful dome with the fresco by Galeotti.

Museums

Museo di Storia Naturale

Founded in 1766 by J.B.Fourcault, it was directed by distinguished zoologists, such as Pellegrino Strobel and Angelo Andres. In its two locations there are exhibition sectors of Systematic Zoology and Ethnography, with important zoological collections and African collections also ethnographic.

Parks and nature reserves

Parco Regionale fluviale del Taro

The Regional River Park of Taro, is a park in the province of Parma that protects over 20 km of bed of the river Taro between Fornovo di Taro and Ponte Taro. It was born with the aim of protecting the ancient river landscape, elsewhere now disappeared or compromised.