Bruno’s Guidebook
Food scene
Few places get the tastebuds going quite like the tiny city of Parma. It's nestled in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy known as Food Valley where many of the delicacies Italy is famous for hail from. Here you'll find local artisans producing prosciutto, pomodoro, Lambrusco and Parmigiano-Reggiano the same way they have done for generations.
The city's colourful streets also celebrate Parma's rich culinary history. Trattoria tables line the Strada Eugenio Copelli serving up local specialities such as tiny pillows of pasta cooked in a rich broth, while delis and street markets straddle the three main piazzas offering students from the famed Alma cooking school and tourists alike a true taste of Italian cuisine. It's little wonder UNESCO bestowed Parma the title 'Creative City for Gastronomy' three years ago — a first for Italy.
Here, your hit list for where to eat, drink and indulge in Parma.
just around the corner 2 min walking distance in Str. Aurelio Saffi, 48. Dining options: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner. The place is welcoming and stylish in an old world style, The service is really nice and the food outstanding. Very good menu with many alternatives of the local food. Also the prices are really convenient.
Umami Gastrobar
48 Str. Aurelio Saffi just around the corner 2 min walking distance in Str. Aurelio Saffi, 48. Dining options: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner. The place is welcoming and stylish in an old world style, The service is really nice and the food outstanding. Very good menu with many alternatives of the local food. Also the prices are really convenient.
7 min walking distance
Vibrant atmosphere, good service and excelent food make this place one of the best in town. Awesome music, good cocktails and wine selection create a lovely atmosphere to taste special food, expecially meat, with your partner, your family and your friends. Enjoy! Fridays and Saturdays music with Djs. (i am one of the resident Dj)
Mentana 104
104 Viale Mentana7 min walking distance
Vibrant atmosphere, good service and excelent food make this place one of the best in town. Awesome music, good cocktails and wine selection create a lovely atmosphere to taste special food, expecially meat, with your partner, your family and your friends. Enjoy! Fridays and Saturdays music with Djs. (i am one of the resident Dj)
3 min walking distance
Local convivial climate with friendly and prepared hosts. Excellent both the cuisine and the cured meats. Good also the offer of live music that often accompanies aperitifs and theme nights. Perfect value for money. Super recommended.
7 íbúar mæla með
Artaj
19/a Stradello San Girolamo3 min walking distance
Local convivial climate with friendly and prepared hosts. Excellent both the cuisine and the cured meats. Good also the offer of live music that often accompanies aperitifs and theme nights. Perfect value for money. Super recommended.
What does the “T” stand for in the name TCafè? Tasteful? The airy, white gallery-like space is certainly that, thanks to a mix of historical details (stone columns, wooden beams) and contemporary cool (design chairs, bubbly electro music).Trendy? The mix of local students and design-media types would suggest it. Or perhaps the “T” is for the Italian word tramonto (sunset), since the outdoor tables are the ideal spot for an end-of-the-day aperitivo while overlooking Parma’s octagonal medieval baptistery. A favorite local flower infuses the Violet Spritz (violet liqueur, prosecco, soda; 6 euros, about $6.60 ), while an Americano (8 euros, or $8.80) caters to classic tastes. All is accompanied (gratis) by another Parma staple, prosciutto.
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Tcafè
Vicolo al BattisteroWhat does the “T” stand for in the name TCafè? Tasteful? The airy, white gallery-like space is certainly that, thanks to a mix of historical details (stone columns, wooden beams) and contemporary cool (design chairs, bubbly electro music).Trendy? The mix of local students and design-media types would suggest it. Or perhaps the “T” is for the Italian word tramonto (sunset), since the outdoor tables are the ideal spot for an end-of-the-day aperitivo while overlooking Parma’s octagonal medieval baptistery. A favorite local flower infuses the Violet Spritz (violet liqueur, prosecco, soda; 6 euros, about $6.60 ), while an Americano (8 euros, or $8.80) caters to classic tastes. All is accompanied (gratis) by another Parma staple, prosciutto.
2 min walking distance
Tempting new visitors just steps from the train station is this bountiful delicatessen dating to 1829, with dangling sausages, shelves of Lambrusco wines, slabs of Parma ham and wheel upon wheel of parmigiano reggiano.
Salumeria Garibaldi Srl Parma
42 Strada G. Garibaldi2 min walking distance
Tempting new visitors just steps from the train station is this bountiful delicatessen dating to 1829, with dangling sausages, shelves of Lambrusco wines, slabs of Parma ham and wheel upon wheel of parmigiano reggiano.
The oldest osteria in the town centre, this restaurant has delighted locals and visitors in two simple yet convivial dining rooms since 1880. The cuisine here is regional, with many dishes freshly prepared, from the excellent pasta to the delicious ice cream. Specialities include duck breast in a raspberry sauce with parmesan cheese flan.
Osteria del 36
26/A Str. Aurelio SaffiThe oldest osteria in the town centre, this restaurant has delighted locals and visitors in two simple yet convivial dining rooms since 1880. The cuisine here is regional, with many dishes freshly prepared, from the excellent pasta to the delicious ice cream. Specialities include duck breast in a raspberry sauce with parmesan cheese flan.
Look for the upright wine barrels in Via Luigi Carlo Farini — a lively strip of bars and restaurants — and you will have found Tabarro, a cozy and rustic little wine bar. Stand at those same barrels (which double as tables) while sampling anything from bubbly white Franciacorta from the north to ripe Sicilian reds from the south. From in between, Tuscan Pollera Nera is a tannic, medium-bodied red with hints of pepper. To sample artisanal Italian beers, cross the river to Vecchie Maniere Birreria Parmigiana. The friendly brick-vaulted pub is festooned with miscellany — posters,T-shirts, photos, farm equipment — and serves suds by Brewfist, MC77, Hammer and other independent Italian breweries.
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Tabarro
5 Strada FariniLook for the upright wine barrels in Via Luigi Carlo Farini — a lively strip of bars and restaurants — and you will have found Tabarro, a cozy and rustic little wine bar. Stand at those same barrels (which double as tables) while sampling anything from bubbly white Franciacorta from the north to ripe Sicilian reds from the south. From in between, Tuscan Pollera Nera is a tannic, medium-bodied red with hints of pepper. To sample artisanal Italian beers, cross the river to Vecchie Maniere Birreria Parmigiana. The friendly brick-vaulted pub is festooned with miscellany — posters,T-shirts, photos, farm equipment — and serves suds by Brewfist, MC77, Hammer and other independent Italian breweries.
Fiercely local and organic, this farm-to-table bistro, owned and operated solely by women, is on to something special: its primi menu offers tortelli priced per piece (€1) to avoid food waste. That means you can go for an epic degutazione of local salumi and cheese (including red cow parmigiano reggiano), try one or two tortelli, and still go for a seasonally changing secondi.
Officina Alimentare Dedicata Parma
11/A Via Ferdinando MaestriFiercely local and organic, this farm-to-table bistro, owned and operated solely by women, is on to something special: its primi menu offers tortelli priced per piece (€1) to avoid food waste. That means you can go for an epic degutazione of local salumi and cheese (including red cow parmigiano reggiano), try one or two tortelli, and still go for a seasonally changing secondi.
If you’re looking for a traditional restaurant with the ambience of a typical country trattoria, then Ai Due Platani is the place for you. The menu features Emilian specialties such as tortelli pasta stuffed with pumpkin, pecorino pappardelle pasta with a duck and pine nut ragù, and veal fillet with a traditional tuna sauce. All highly memorable!
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Trattoria Ai Due Platani
104/a Strada BudellungoIf you’re looking for a traditional restaurant with the ambience of a typical country trattoria, then Ai Due Platani is the place for you. The menu features Emilian specialties such as tortelli pasta stuffed with pumpkin, pecorino pappardelle pasta with a duck and pine nut ragù, and veal fillet with a traditional tuna sauce. All highly memorable!
Sightseeing
Just a few meters beyond the theatre, you come across one of the most significant churches in Parma: the 17th century Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata, worth a visit because of its large frescoed dome and the works by Bernardino Gatti and Parmigianino. Seat of the Sacred Constantinian Order of Saint George since 1718, inside, the church also houses a treasure of art and history – the Museo costantiniano della Steccata – with sepulchral chapels of the ducal family, wooden statues and religious ornaments.
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Helgidómurinn Santa Maria della Steccata
5 Strada G. GaribaldiJust a few meters beyond the theatre, you come across one of the most significant churches in Parma: the 17th century Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata, worth a visit because of its large frescoed dome and the works by Bernardino Gatti and Parmigianino. Seat of the Sacred Constantinian Order of Saint George since 1718, inside, the church also houses a treasure of art and history – the Museo costantiniano della Steccata – with sepulchral chapels of the ducal family, wooden statues and religious ornaments.
A visit to Parma has to start from Piazza del Duomo, heart of the city’s art and sacred vocation. It hosts its two main symbolic places: the 12th century Cathedral , one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy and a treasure chest full of remarkable Renaissance works, like the amazing dome frescoed by Correggio, and, next to it, the imposing Baptistery with octagonal plan, entirely covered in pink marble and decorated with paintings and frescoes.
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Piazza Duomo
Piazza DuomoA visit to Parma has to start from Piazza del Duomo, heart of the city’s art and sacred vocation. It hosts its two main symbolic places: the 12th century Cathedral , one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy and a treasure chest full of remarkable Renaissance works, like the amazing dome frescoed by Correggio, and, next to it, the imposing Baptistery with octagonal plan, entirely covered in pink marble and decorated with paintings and frescoes.
Just a few steps from Cathedral Square you reach the Abbey of S. Giovanni Evangelista, right behind the Cathedral. Inside this monastic complex, founded by Benedictine monks in 980, you can visit the church with 16th century frescoes by various painters (including Correggio), three different cloisters, the library and the “spezieria” (ancient pharmacy).
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San Giovanni Evangelista
1 Piazzale S. GiovanniJust a few steps from Cathedral Square you reach the Abbey of S. Giovanni Evangelista, right behind the Cathedral. Inside this monastic complex, founded by Benedictine monks in 980, you can visit the church with 16th century frescoes by various painters (including Correggio), three different cloisters, the library and the “spezieria” (ancient pharmacy).
Going back towards the Cathedral, in five minutes you arrive at the Benedictine monastery of San Paolo, providing another amazing opportunity for you to immerse yourself in beauty. Today, the ancient monastery is a museum comprising a room frescoed by Alessandro Araldi and the wonderful Abbess' Chamber, recently reopened to the public, with its beautiful vault frescoed by Correggio.
San Paolo, Parma
Via M. MelloniGoing back towards the Cathedral, in five minutes you arrive at the Benedictine monastery of San Paolo, providing another amazing opportunity for you to immerse yourself in beauty. Today, the ancient monastery is a museum comprising a room frescoed by Alessandro Araldi and the wonderful Abbess' Chamber, recently reopened to the public, with its beautiful vault frescoed by Correggio.
Crossing the green area of Piazza della Pace, in 4 minutes, you get to Palazzo della Pilotta, a late 16th century monumental complex comprising various buildings. One ticket admits you to all the collections and artistic treasures of the Farnese family: the National Archaeological Museum, the Galleria Nazionale, Teatro Farnese, the Bodoni Museum and the Palatine Library.
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Teatro Farnese
15 Piazza della PilottaCrossing the green area of Piazza della Pace, in 4 minutes, you get to Palazzo della Pilotta, a late 16th century monumental complex comprising various buildings. One ticket admits you to all the collections and artistic treasures of the Farnese family: the National Archaeological Museum, the Galleria Nazionale, Teatro Farnese, the Bodoni Museum and the Palatine Library.
From Palazzo Pilotta, going back to Piazza della Pace and along Strada Garibaldi, in just three minutes you reach the Teatro Regio of Parma. Commissioned by Duchess Marie Louise during the 1820s, it is one of the most important theatres of Italian operatic tradition. The venue for opera and dance shows, concerts and recitals, most notably the events of the famous Verdi Festival (held each year in October, the birth month of the great composer from Parma).
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Teatro Regio di Parma
16/a Strada G. GaribaldiFrom Palazzo Pilotta, going back to Piazza della Pace and along Strada Garibaldi, in just three minutes you reach the Teatro Regio of Parma. Commissioned by Duchess Marie Louise during the 1820s, it is one of the most important theatres of Italian operatic tradition. The venue for opera and dance shows, concerts and recitals, most notably the events of the famous Verdi Festival (held each year in October, the birth month of the great composer from Parma).
Turning right in Strada Mazzini and crossing the “Ponte di Mezzo” in a few minutes you reach the Oltretorrente quarter where Arturo Toscanini’s House is located, birthplace of one of the greatest orchestra directors. Today the house is an interesting museum displaying period furniture and relics, items and opera costumes, and evocative spaces like the Piano Room and the room where Toscanini was born in 1867.
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Birthplace of Arturo Toscanini Museum
13 Borgo Rodolfo TanziTurning right in Strada Mazzini and crossing the “Ponte di Mezzo” in a few minutes you reach the Oltretorrente quarter where Arturo Toscanini’s House is located, birthplace of one of the greatest orchestra directors. Today the house is an interesting museum displaying period furniture and relics, items and opera costumes, and evocative spaces like the Piano Room and the room where Toscanini was born in 1867.
The beauties of the Parma area also extend well beyond the boundaries of the city’s historic center: its surroundings are full of testimonies of the times when Parma was capital of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. Of the many castles of the Duchy, those undoubtedly worth visiting include Colorno Castle, the so-called “Versailles of Emilia”, 15 km from the city center;
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Ducal Palace
3 Viale PiacenzaThe beauties of the Parma area also extend well beyond the boundaries of the city’s historic center: its surroundings are full of testimonies of the times when Parma was capital of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. Of the many castles of the Duchy, those undoubtedly worth visiting include Colorno Castle, the so-called “Versailles of Emilia”, 15 km from the city center;
Torrechiara Castle (20 km away from Parma), located in a panoramic position on top of a hill, one of the best preserved castles in Italy.
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Torrechiara kastali
1 Strada del CastelloTorrechiara Castle (20 km away from Parma), located in a panoramic position on top of a hill, one of the best preserved castles in Italy.
Rocca Sanvitale, in Fontanellato (less than 20 km from Parma), with frescoes by Parmigianino, still entirely surrounded by a moat that preserves its Medieval beauty.
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Rocca Sanvitale di Fontanellato
1 Piazza Giacomo MatteottiRocca Sanvitale, in Fontanellato (less than 20 km from Parma), with frescoes by Parmigianino, still entirely surrounded by a moat that preserves its Medieval beauty.
Borgartillaga
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Battistero
Overshadowing even the cathedral, the octagonal pink-marble baptistery on the south side of the piazza is one of the most important such structures in Italy. Its architecture is a hybrid of Romanesque and Gothic, and its construction started in 1196 on the cusp of the two great architectural eras. The interior is particularly stunning, with its interplay of pencil-thin marble columns and richly coloured 13th-century frescoes in the Byzantine style, interspersed at irregular intervals with statues and bas-reliefs.
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Duomo 7 min walking distance
Another daring Romanesque beauty? Well, yes and no. Consecrated in 1106, Parma has a classic Lombard-Romanesque facade, but inside, the gilded pulpit and ornate lamp-holders scream baroque. Take note: there are some genuine treasures here. Up in the dome, Antonio da Correggio's Assunzione della Vergine (Assumption of the Virgin) is a kaleidoscopic swirl of cherubs and whirling angels, while in the southern transept, Benedetto Antelami's Deposizione (Descent from the Cross; 1178) relief is considered a masterpiece of its type.
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Palazzo della Pilotta 12 min walking distance
Looming over the manicured lawns and modern fountains of Piazza della Pace, this monumental palace is hard to miss. Supposedly named after the Spanish ball game of pelota that was once played within its walls, it was originally built for the Farnese family between 1583 and 1622. Heavily bombed in WWII, it has since been largely rebuilt and today houses three museums: Galleria Nazionale, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Teatro Farnese.
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Piazza Garibaldi
12 min walking distance
Piazza Garibaldi was designed since Medieval times to be the location of political power.
Buildings around the square include the Town hall and the Governor’s palace. Nowadays the square is one of the busiest spots in town, a meeting place home to bars and elegant shops.
Heart of city life at the junction of the main streets.
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Parma, Italian Capital of Culture 2020
Its rich historical, artistic and culinary heritage has earned Parma the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2020: with a calendar of more than 500 events, 2020 is the perfect year in which to go and discover this city.
For updated info visit web site www.parma2020.it
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Parmigiano Reggiano
Parma boasts a high-end food & wine tradition with dishes and specialties that are favourites all over the world, like its cured meats – especially Prosciutto di Parma (which even has its own museum) -, Parmigiano Reggiano, and traditional local recipes such as torta fritta, tortelli d’erbetta and many other delicacies. This outstanding culinary excellence allowed Parma to become the first city in Italy to win the title of Unesco Creative City of gastronomy.