Day Trip to Parma

Tuesday October 13 was another sunny, mild day with a high of 23C.  We were off to Parma for a day trip. We walked to Bologna Centrale Train Station and had a quick 58 minutes train ride to Parma.

Parma train station-- lots of bikes outside- a very bike and pedestrian-friendly city.

We had about a 15 minute walk into town and the tourist office.

Leafy wide streets en route

We passed through the magnificent Palazzo della Pilotta, once the home of the Dukes of Parma and later converted into a museum complex.  The Pilotta, damaged during WWII bombings, was partially rebuilt.  It now houses the Palatine Library, the Archaeological Museum, the National Gallery, the Farnese Theatre and the Bodoni Museum.  The Archeological Museum (the Ducal Museum of Antiquities, one of the oldest museums in Italy) was founded in 1760 by Don Philip of Bourbon.  The Palatine Library, founded in 1761, opened to the public in 1769.  The Bodoni Museum is the oldest printing museum in Italy inaugurated in 1963 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of Giambattista Bodoni, the Piedmontese typographer who made Parma the world capital of printing starting from the second half of the 18th century.  

The Farnese Theatre, commissioned in 1618 was one of the first modern theatres in the Western world and one of only three Renaissance theatres still in existence.  It was almost totally destroyed during WWII.  It was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1962.

Approaching the complex

List of the museums and buildings in the complex

Amazing complex of museums

We were awed by this complex--- but as we were only in Parma for the day, we did not have the time to take in any of the exhibits. 

We passed a monument en route.  It is the Monumento al partigiano (The Monument to the Partisan created by the sculptor Marino Mazzacurati and the architect Guglieimo Lusignoli. They won a design competition in 1954 to build the memorial which was officially inaugurated on June 30,1956.   It honours the Italian Resistance fighters of WWII.  It is composed of three elements:  the Standing Partisan, the Dying Partisan, and the Brick Wall- representing an execution firing wall.  It was built utilizing original brickwork salvaged from local Parma homes destroyed during 1944 bombings.

Monumento al Partigiano

Camera di San Paolo (Chamber of St. Paul) is a room in the former Monastery of San Paolo
dating to the early 16th century.

We then approached the beautiful Baptistery of Parma and the Duomo.

Incredible square with the Baptistry of Parma on the right and the Duomo.

The Baptistery

The Baptistery of Parma Cathedral was built between 1196 and 1307 from pink Verona marble with four tiers of open loggias.  It is said to be one of the most outstanding examples of the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles in Italy.  The lowest part of the baptistery is encircled with bas-relief sculptures of animals, fabulous beasts, sea monsters and unicorns. 

Some of the decoration- an amazing building

The Parma Cathedral is a masterwork of Italian Romanesque architecture located in the Piazza Duomo Parma.  It was consecrated in 1106 and restored after an 1117 earthquake.

The Duomo

Inside the Duomo- frescos by Correggio and Lattanzio Gambara

Another view

We walked down Borgo Venti Marzo which turns into Borgo Tommasini, full of interesting shops.

Hanging frame on Borgo Venti Marzo

Lamp shades on Borgo Tommasini

We decided to have a late lunch at Officina Alimentare Dedicata, a trattoria run by three women (recommended by Elizabeth Minchilli).

Lovely space

We had three local dishes.  Stuffed anolini (a wonderful local pasta shape) with broth; Torta frita (delicious fried buns); and the restaurant's homemade Giardiniera  (pickled vegetables in oil and vinegar). 

The pasta was delicious and the broth very tasty. Sari had the tortellini as well. 

The torta frita

We wandered some more and then decided to have coffee at Caffè Cavour, a beautiful spot with inside frescoed ceilings.  We wanted to sit outside as it was such a gorgeous day.

Inside of Caffè Cavour

Sari took this selfie-- we enjoyed our coffee

As we continued our wanders, we spotted someone that looked familiar from instagram and her blogs and website.  It was Elizabeth Minchilli, the well-known author of nine books focussing on Italian cuisine, culture, architecture and interior design.  She had a wonderful app called Eat Italy for a number of years, which she retired a few years ago.  She is very active on social media.  Minchilli and her daughter have conducted high-end food tours for a number of years and her newly formed company Via Rosa has guides to a number of Italian cities included in her tours. I had her recommendations for Parma with me!  We said hello and she posed for a picture with us.  She was leading a tour, but was on her own at the moment.  

Me, Elizabeth Minchilli, and our friend Sari

It was then time for gelato at what Minchilli says is arguably the best gelato in Parma -Ciacco Gelato.  She said the zabaione was unmissable.

Alonso got a zabaione, pistachio and tiramisu cone.  
All were excellent flavours, but he liked the zabaione the best.

I had a wonderful vegan chocolate and a vegan pistachio cup.  
In Italy one can have two flavours in the smallest size cup.

Outside of Ciacco-- a lovely gelato store

We stopped at the Palazzo del Governatore, located on the northern side of Piazza Garibaldi.  It combines  two buildings dating from the 13th century.  It was redesigned in 1760 by a French architect working at the court of Philip of Bourbon.  The baroque tower was built in 1763.  There are two sundials on the facade dating back to 1829.  The palace is now an important venue of modern and contemporary art.

The sundials on the front of the entrance. Arturo Toscanini's monument
by Maurizio Zaccardi, unveiled in 2007 in the foreground.

The Palazzo del Governatore

We stopped at La Prosciutteria, a wonderful deli operating since 1965.  We bought some provisions for our dinner, including a large piece of a spinach pie and some giardiniera.

Outside of La Prosciutteria

Delicious pasta, meats and prepared foods-- lots of folks buying dinner.

Winged Victory monument dedicated to the Italian victory in WWI was designed in 1917 but only inaugurated in 1931 in the presence of King Victor Emmanuel III.  The bronze sculpture was created by the Palermo-born sculptor Ettore Ximenes.

Leaving Parma- the train station again

We walked back to the apartment for a light meal of the food we had bought in Parma as well as some green beans and a salad.   e would highly recommend a visit to Parma. A beautiful town with a lot to do and see.