Parma, Italy

Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the little stream with the same name.

Visitors to Parma will enjoy the many 12th – 13th century Romanesque architecture. The Museo Glauco Lombardi is a particularly interesting and well done museum documenting the life of Maria Luigia, second wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Duchess of Parma. The museum is very personal and engaging with many artifacts and belongings of the gifted, talented and well educated Maria. The Piazza Duomo is where you'll find the city's cathedral and the baptistry, both built in the late 12th century. The baptistry was designed by Benedetto Antelami and is constructed from a pink marble called rosso di Verona. The marble appears to change color depending on how the sun hits it. It is one of the most recognized medieval structures in the country. The frescoes inside the building are very moving, as well as the relief sculptures on the interior stone.

Things to See & Do

* Museo Glauco Lombardi
* Piazza Duomo
* The Abbey Church of Saint John
* The Palazzo della Pilotta
* The Cittadella – large 16th century fortress

General Information

Cruise Season – March to Dec
Currency – Euro (€) (EUR)
Language – Italian
Land Area – 260.77 km²
Population – 187,215 approx.
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code – + 39

Port Location - The river port at Parma is located on the Po River.

Travel Links - From the train station it is an easy walk into the historic city center. The train ride from Bologna to Parma is about one hour and there is a shuttle service from the Bologna airport to the Bologna train station. Milan is also less than two hours north of Parma along the A1 autostrada.