Parma Hotels Parma Travel guide, accommodation, Parma vacation packages, holidays, Italy

Parma hotels - Book now and save!

Parma Travel guide, Parma hotels, vacation

Parma Travel guide, Parma hotels - holidays in Italy

Parma Travel information

On the ruins of a bronze-age village and on a supposed Celtic settlement (3rd century B.C.), in 183 B.C. the Romans founded the city of Parma in order to strengthen their rule in the Cispadane region (The Regione immediately south of the Po river), which was continually threatened by the Ligurians.

From the historian Titus Livius we know that the colonies of Modena and Parma were founded on the Via Emilia by bringing two thousand Roman family heads led by the triumvirates M. Emilius Lepidus, T. Ebutius Carus, and L. Quintus Crispinus. According to Livius there were very few traces both of a Gallic civilization and of a supposed earlier Etruscan occupation. Probably the name of the river which divides Parma into two parts from north to south and from which the Romans derived the name of this colony, may confirm the assumption of an Etruscan cultural penetration into the territory surrounding Parma. The Romans reclaimed the plain surrounded by three rivers (Enza, Po, Taro), which was once covered by forests and bogs with few cultivated areas. The first plan of the city complies with the traditional system of orthogonal axes. The main road of the "centuriatio" of Parma coincides with the Via Emilia, of which there is evidence in the stone bridge, built on the river Parma, probably during the Augustan reconstruction of the Via Emilia, and the "cardum" has become the present Via Cavour and Via Farini. Since the imperial age, the Roman town had a forum (in the present Piazza Garibaldi), a theatre (Piazzale S. Uldarico), an amphitheatre, thermal buildings, a temple, a basilica, and water supply. During the nineteenth century and in recent archaeological excavations, remains of rich and modest houses were brought to light, which is evidenced by numerous floors including mosaics.

In the middle years of the Empire there was a period of crisis in the local economy of sheep breeding which, according to the sources, gave rise to a series of handcrafts. The town became depopulated and it was only during the life-time of King Theodoric (454-526) that there emerged a few signs of recovery.

Later the town came under Byzantine rule (553-568) and was called Crisopoli but we do not know whether this name derived from the richness of its soil or from the fact that the town was a financial centre for the military. After the Longobard invasion (568-569), which deeply changed the territorial arrangement in Emilia, Parma became an important garrison, of which significant archaeological remains have been found. Parma lost and regained its identity many times.

It became the chief centre of the Frankish rule when the main features of the original urban plan began to disappear. Since Charlemagne had neither abolished nor unified the ancient laws, completely different traditions and cultures survived for centuries until they found their unification at the time of the free cities.

The town then came under the rule of Bishop Guidobono, who, at the same time, was also the feudal lord of the town from 860 to 895. In 877 he founded the chapter house of the Cathedral, the Bishop's Palace with a seminary (attended by Saint Peter Damian). This school was opened to the public in the 11th century, the subjects taught were grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, music, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and later law and medicine. The origins of the University of Parma, one of the oldest in Italy, are to be found in this famous school. During the struggles between the Empire and the Church,Parma sided with the Empire and appointed two antipopes: its own bishop Cadalus and Gilberto. Antipope Cadalus, bishop and feudal lord from 1045 to 1072 began the construction of the Cathedral and of the Bishop's Palace outside the northern wall of the city, on the ruins of an early Christian basilica. Little by little the bishop's political power declined, whereas the minor landowners grew stronger and stronger showing a spirit of independence from the Church and from the Empire.

When Frederick II was defeated in 1248, Parma established its first republican government with its seat in the Piazza nuova (now Piazza Garibaldi) where Torello da Strada, first Podesta' of Parma in 1221, ordered the construction of the Palazzo Comunale (the Town Hall). All this caused dissensions backed by the local noble families. After numerous struggles for supremacy and power, in 1335, after the fall of the Free City Government, Parma passed under the rule of Luchino Visconti and then of Filippo Maria Visconti (1420). After a short period of independence the city passed under the control of the Sforza Family, followed by that of the French and then of the Church.

From 1521, Francesco Guicciardini ruled Parma in the name of Pope Leo X. He curbed internal quarrels, and neither surrendered to the French nor to the Venetians, who, in December of that year, besieged the city. In 1545, after the restoration of papal rule, Pope Paul III, of the Farnese Family, made Parma the capital of a small duchy (made up of Parma, Piacenza and Guastalla) that was ruled by this family until 1731. Power was held first by Pier Luigi (who was murdered in Piacenza in 1547 by a conspiracy of the nobles. The attitude of conspiracy of the nobles towards the Farnese Family was not to subside until May 5th, 1612, when Ranuccio I had many local feudal lords beheaded: among them was Barbara Sanseverino. Power was then held by Ottavio who made Parma the capital of the duchy, where he built the Palazzo del Giardino. He also reorganized the state with better laws, and with the help of famous artists and cultured men, he improved the development of the city. In 1586 Alessandro became duke; he grew up in Spain in Philipp II's court and lived for a long time in Flanders, and was involved in the wars between the Catholics and Protestants. In the meanwhile the rule of the city was held by his son, Ranuccio I, who carried out the construction of the Palazzo della Pilotta and the Teatro Farnese. Later power was held successively by Odoardo, Ranuccio II, Francesco and Antonio, the last duke of the Farnese Family. When Antonio died, the rule of the city passed to Carlo Bourbon, who, after a short time, abdicated power because at first he was given the throne of Napoli, and then that of Spain. Therefore all the furniture and artistic objects of value were moved from their palaces in Parma, Colorno, and Sala Baganza to the Palazzo di Capodimonte in Napoli.

With the Treaty of Aachen, the duchy of Parma was given to Don Filippo Bourbon, who was the second son of Elisabetta Farnese and Philip V of Spain. He married Louise Elisabeth Louis XV's daughter, a woman accustomed to the pleasures of Versailles. They inherited a duchy in economic decay with bare and neglected palaces, but they chose intelligent and skilled ministers, artists and architects with enlightened ideas and so Parma began to thrive again with the newest ideas of European culture. The
duchess had carpets, furniture, pictures pieces of porcelain, and tapestries sent from Paris in order to decorate her court according to French taste.

Don Filippo founded the Palatine Library which was greatly developed by Paolo Maria Paciaudi, who, in a few years, acquired 40,000 volumes. He also founded the Accademia di Belle Arti (Fine Arts Academy), which every year organized international sculpture, architecture, and painting competitions, attended by young artists from all over Europe (young Goya was one of them). The duke also promoted archaeological
excavations which led to the discovery of the Roman ruins of Velleja, on the lower slopes of the Apennines in the present Province of Piacenza. The look of the city changed: its typical Farnese features were enriched with neo-classical buildings planned by the architect E.A. Petitot and by stucco-works designed by French artists from his school (one of whom was G.B. Boudard). In these years Giambattista Bodoni set up a great printing house, and the fame of his production became known the world over. The light of this culture did not fade completely away when the rule passed to Don Ferdinando and Maria Amalia, who was the daughter of Maria Teresa of Austria however, the leading figures of the city resigned their posts.

Restoration began with the usual lack of foresight and political ability. After Ferdinando's death, Parma was ruled by Moreau de Saint Mery, who had been appointed by Napoleon. He attempted to re-organize the finances and the city administration, which in 1814, passed to Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's second wife, whose reign lasted till 1847. These were thirty important years in the life of the duchy which became and international meeting place for new ideas.

The new idea of independence, developing and spreading all over Italy developed and spread also in Parma. The last duke Carlo III Bourbon, was stabbed (1851) in the city centre during his daily walk. He left to his wife, Louise Marie of Berry, the task of ruling his stormy state troubled by struggles for independence.

Finally in March 1860 a plebiscite decided that Parma should be annexed to Piemonte. When in August 1922 Italo Balbo and his fascist squads left from Romagna to take over the political power in Italy, only one city in the region rose against him and organized a heroic resistance: it was Parma, which even today remembers those events as the days of "Barricades of Oltretorrente", which are among the noblest facts in its eventful history.

Parma Sights, sightseeing, culture:

Archaelogical Museum
The Ducal Museum of Antiques was founded in Parma in 1760 by Don Filippo Borbone in order to collect the remains which were brought to light during the excavations at Velleja (a small Roman town on the Apennines in the province of Piacenza). When the Duchy passed under the French rule, it was deprived of all its valuables, which were given back only after the Congress of Vienna. Under Marie Louise's government the Museum occupied its actual seat and was supplied with further purchases. After the Italian unification it became an important institute for paleontological studies and researches. The collections are now displayed on two floors; on the first floor there are the Velleja and other collections, while on the ground floor it is possible to visit the prehistoric age sections and the one relating to Parma and to territories around Parma during the Roman era.

Cathedral Dedicated to S. Maria Assunta
(St. Mary of the Assumption), the Cathedral of Parma represents one of the finest examples of the Romanesque style in the Po Valley. Time and men have considerably altered its structure and decoration, leaving several "traces of art". Situated outside the original town walls and started on the will of the antipope Cadalus towards the end of 1059, it was consecrated during the papacy of Pasquale II in 1106. In 1117 a violent earthquake shook the whole Po Valley and part of the building suffered serious damages. Consequent reconstructions and modifications were undertaken almost immediately. Today the facade appears with a saddle roof and is decorated with three rows of loggias. There are three portals, the main of the which was raised in 1281 by Giambono da Bissone. For the arched lintel he used a series of reliefs illustrating the months of the year, ascribed to the master sculptors who had previously carved the capitals of the nave. The main door (signed by its author in 1494) is due to the carver Luchino Bianchino, who executed it following the design of the side doors.

Bodoni Museum
This museum has its seat in the Pilotta Palace (on the top floor) and it is entirely dedicated to Giambattista Bodoni's typographical work. In 1768 Bodoni was given the task of managing the royal printing house in Parma and he was able to change it into an international printing centre with extremely good technical results. The museum keeps a great deal of type blocks, punches, master copies, original dies, manuscripts and tools for a total amount of 80.000 pieces. The collection also includes the alphabet boxes of the Royal Printing House, which are still used nowadays when printing books of particular worth. The most valuable work, considering the scarcity of its editions and the date of its publication, is the Greek version of the Book of Iliad dating to 1808.

Chinese and Ethnological Museum
It was Guido Maria Conforti, bishop of Parma, who planned this collection. He established the rule that missionaries had to return from mission lands with various local objects, in order to promulgate the culture of the many countries in which the missions were active as well as to teach the new missionaries. The collection considerably increased thanks to many donated objects coming from China, Oceania, Africa, Pakistan, Japan, and South America. Among the bronzes are vases, mirrors, portraits and little statues ranging from 11th century B.C. to 13th century A.C.: the ceramics include two vases of the Pan Shan dynasty dating to the third milenium B.C. and a funeral terracotta featuring a tortoise and a snake and dating to 200 A.C. The precious pieces of porcelain range from the last milenium of the Hu-Suan-Te period (1426-35) to the Kang-Shi period (1662-1722). Among the paintings are several portraits and works of the painter Huang Ch'uan, which date to 2nd century B.C.; noteworthy are also the representations of landscapes, flowers and birds. Numerous are the artifacts (ivories, jades, stone and wooden sculptures, amulets and pieces of enamels). The museum also contains a collection of 8450 coins (from 13th century B.C. to 1911) which is not open to the public. Extremely interesting and rich is the section dedicated to ethnological objects, which includes tools, weapons, instruments, prints and other handiworks of everyday life, collected in China, Japan, Indonesia, Oceania, Pakistan, Congo, Australia, South America and other countries all over the world.

Dukes' Palace and Park
The Dukes' Park offers visitors the view of secular trees which create an elaborated green architecture, planned and carried out in 1560 and enlarged in 18th century. Adorned with sculptures by G. B. Boudard, it was subsequently given a "French-style" arrangement. Inside the Park are: the old Dukes' Palace and the "Eucherio Sanvitale Palace". This moderately sized palazzetto is a fine example of Renaissance architecture in Parma, and it was built in 1520 by Giorgio da Erba. The building is a recent and historical discovery and its restoration has brought to light a fragment of the "Madonna with Child" by Parmigianino, and an oil wall painting portraying scenes from the life of the Virgin, attributed to a late-mannerist artist, the religious Cosimo Piazza. Noteworthy are also the grotesque paintings and landscapes dating to the last years of 16th century.

Lombardi Museum
The seat of this museum has been since 1961 the Palazzo della Riserva (Reserve Palace), planned by Ennemond Petitot in 1764. Thanks to its founder, it houses and conserves a rich and artistic documentation about the Duchy of Parma from the first half of 18th century to the Italian unification, focusing particularly on the rule of Marie Louise of Austria (1816-1847). There are seven rooms which house the collection of works, furniture, the nuptial "corbeille" designed by Prud'hon in 1810 and given by Napoleon to the Duchess as a wedding gift. Watercolours by Naudin, engravings by P. Toschi and B. Bossi, jewelry, diaries, clothes and documents complete this 18th century collection.

Charterhouse of Parma
Founded in 1225 according to the last wishes of the Bishop of Spoleto, Rolando Taverna, it soon became part of the monastic order of the Chartusian monks, who lived here for 483 years. Subsequently the building housed a "modern" charitable institution for the needy: the Patrimony of the poor. After various affiliations (Dominicans, the Government Reformatory), since 1975 the building has been the seat of the Training and Refresher School of the Penitentiary Police. The Old Sacristy is wholly conserved. The architectonic complex was finally completed at the end of 15th century, when the actual "small cloister" (not open to the public) and the "big cloister" with the monastic cells were finished. In 1551 the building suffered a great damage and its restoration ended in 1658. Another important work was the one done by F. Pescaroli from Cremona, who incorporated the original Gothic Church into a Baroque one, which was never finished (1673 - 1722). The present facade of neoclassical style is due to A. Abbati (1847). Towards 1910 new modifications were carried out; among them the final destruction of the monastic cells. Nothing remains of the old medieval furnishings, while the Renaissance ones are still well conserved. Noteworthy are the frescoed or engraved altar pieces, the capitals and the altars, executed by Filippo Mazzola, G. A. Amadeo, I. Lombardo, G. Mazzola Bedoli, A. Bernabei, A. Baratta, P. Righini, A. Borra, D. Borra, F. Natali, G. Natali, S. Chiesa, G. Pelliccioli.

Bishop's Palace
The building dates to 11th - 12th centuries, and it has been modified several times. The present-day appearance is the result of 20th century restoration that revived the medieval and Renaissance elements by eliminating the 18th century facelift. In the lower section a porticoed gallery is walled up and surmounted by two rows of arched three-light mullion windows. The inner courtyard was added in 16th century. Along the Bishop's Palace lane it is also possible to see the medieval parts of the city, such as the tower and the monumental entrance, made of squared stones. The building keeps works which belong to the Bishop's Court.

Regio Theatre
The theatre was planned and built by N. Bettoli between 1821 and 1829 on Marie Louise's commission. Its neo-classical facade is moved by a portico surmounted by two rows of windows. The decorations represent Fame and Lyre. The neo-classical atrium leads to an eliptic auditorium (whose gilt and white decorations were carried out by G. Magnani in 1853), accented by four rows of boxes and a gallery on the top. Extremely interesting is also the visit of the whole building, where several kinds of machinery, scenographies, rooms and ceilings can be seen. Noteworthy is the backcloth, decorated by G. B. Borghesi in 1824. The lamp was produced in Paris and weighs 1 ton. The theatre was inaugurated on 16th May 1829 with "Zaira", an opera by Vincenzo Bellini. After the recent works of maintenance, remains of the Romanesque period have been found; they can still be seen inside the building. In the course of its story, Teatro Regio has become one of the most famous opera houses in the world.

Church and Monastery of Saint John The Evangelist
The monastic complex of Saint John the Evangelist includes the Church, the Monastery and the Old San Giovanni Pharmacy. Its origins date to 10th century, even though its aspect is marked by a baroque facade. The bell tower on the right side was added in 1613. The Church, of classical aspect, has an original Romanesque structure (see for instance the pillars covered with grey stones and surmounted by capitals carved by Antonio da Parma). The architectonic design seems to derive from "suggestions" made by some humanists of the time (in particular Grapaldo, author of architecture handbooks). The Latin cross plan features a nave and two side aisles, punctuated by six chapels. The painted frieze, which runs along the nave and shows "Hebrew and Pagan sacrifice", based on Correggio's design, was executed by F. M. Rondani. Correggio also decorated the semi-pillars, the underarch of the fifth Chapel (with the representation of God in the centre and Saint Peter and Saint Andrew in the side panels), Saint Paul fallen off his horse, the cross-vault and finally the dome, with the Evangelist's Transit (1520-24). In the pendentives he painted the Church Fathers and the Evangelists. Also worthy of note in Saint John's Church are works by: Michelangelo Anselmi, G.B. Merano, the brothers Giacomo and Giulio Francia, C. Caselli, Gerolamo Mazzola Bedoli, C. Reggio, Antonio Bagarelli (author of the baked clay statues), Antonio da Parma, E. Taruffi., I. Martini, C. Aretusi.