Parma is a Parma is a city where every corner smells of history and flavor. Walking through its squares, arcades and palaces means immersing yourself in a culture that intertwines art, music and gastronomic tradition.
Known throughout the world for excellences such as Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and the wines of the Hills, the city is the beating heart of the Food Valley.
This itinerary – to be covered on foot or by bicycle – leads to the discovery of the places where food has left its traces in the stone, in museums, markets and even in churches.
You will discover ancient markets under the arcades, medieval bas-reliefs depicting the processing of meat, precious dishes on the ducal tables, and historical reconstructions that bring the elegance of the Po Valley table back to life.
A short but intense route, ideal for couples or curious travelers, which combines the taste of discovery with the pleasure of good food. At each stop, a taste of history and flavor accompanies you in the heart of the world.
Extra tip
To learn more about the deep link between Parma and its gastronomic tradition, we recommend that you spend a few days discovering the Food Museums, the circuit of thematic museums distributed in the surrounding area. Ideal for adults and children, they represent a fun and educational experience among typical products, history and culture of taste.
The itinerary is also perfect for those traveling by camper, or for those who love to explore by bike, for example along the route dedicated to the Museum of Parmesan and Culatello by bike: an irresistible mix of nature, sport and flavors.
The itinerary begins in the heart of Parma, in Piazza Garibaldi, under the historic Portici del Grano.
This square, the civil heart of the city, has been for centuries the place where economy and everyday life were intertwined, with bread as an essential good.
Since the Middle Ages, in fact, the Town Hall has been the nerve center of the Parma economy, given that most of the commercial activities took place in its immediate vicinity.
The markets of wheat, vegetables, flour, fish, meat, salt, wood and coal animated the square, while the livestock and food markets, which required larger spaces, extended near the imposing Palazzo della Pilotta.
The Portici del Grano, which are located on the ground floor of the Town Hall, recall those times, when they housed markets until the nineteenth century.
Tips
Not far from Piazza Garibaldi you can visit one of the most beautiful churches in the city: the Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata.
From Piazza Garibaldi, head towards the nearby Via Cavour, once known as Via Nuova dei Beccaj, where – until the fourteenth century – most of the butcher shops were grouped, concentrated in the so-called Palazzo dei Beccaj.
Continue along Borgo Ronchini, formerly known as Borgo dei Romei because the bran and flour trade took place there, and cross Borgo Zaccagni, once known as Borgo del Salame, home to pork and sausage workshops.
The route finally leads to Piazza Duomo, where the two main monuments of the city preserve ancient testimonies related to food:
Tips
Admission to the Baptistery is paid, but it is really worth it, while at the Duomo it is free.
From Piazza Duomo a pleasant and short walk leads to the Glauco Lombardi Museum, located in Strada Garibaldi, inside the historic Palazzo di Riserva.
The museum is mainly dedicated to the figure of Marie Louise of Austria (1791-1847), Napoleon's second wife and Duchess of Parma, and to the history of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (1816-1847).
Within the exhibition itinerary, a section is entirely dedicated to the ducal table with:
The materials on display offer an interesting overview of styles, rituals and objects related to the consumption of food in the nineteenth century, restoring the image of an era in which the table was a place of representation, as well as conviviality.
And discover with us the dishes so loved by the Duchess.
Curiosity
Demonstrating the elegance of the Duchess's table is a plate with the coat of arms of the Parisian manufacture Honoré and numerous pieces of crystal and porcelain relating to the court table.
Tips
At this point it is time for a gourmet stop and after visiting the Lombardi Museum, what dessert is more suitable than the Duchess Cake to be enjoyed with a good coffee in one of the elegant pastry shops in the center?
FLeaving the Glauco Lombardi Museum, you will find yourself right in front of the imposing Monumental Complex of the Pilotta inside which, in the grandiose rooms of the National Gallery, you will admire the extraordinary and elegant table triumph by the Spanish sculptor Damià Campeny (1771-1855), composed of over one hundred pieces in marble, bronze and alabaster, made in Rome between 1804 and 1806 and destined for the Spanish Embassy.
In addition, inside Palazzo della Pilotta, the very rich Palatine Library, inaugurated in 1769, houses the original drawings for a series of table plates designed in 1639 for Odoardo Farnese (1612-1640) in view of a lunch with Cardinals Antonio and Francesco Barberini in Rome.
Curiosity
Next to the Palace we are in Borgo delle Cucine, where since 1873 there have been economic kitchens set up to feed the poor during the winter season.
Tips
If you decide to stay more than one day in the city, a visit to the Palazzo della Pilotta is perfect to "savor" the history of Parma since it includes several interesting museums – since the entrance to the Pilotta Complex is a single ticket and to the visit of the National Gallery, you can add a visit to the Farnese Theater, the National Archaeological Museum, to the Palatine Library and the Bodoni Museum.
From Borgo delle Cucine, in a few steps you arrive in Piazza Ghiaia: here, in the nineteenth century, the different city markets were brought together, moving from Piazza Garibaldi and the surrounding villages.
With this transformation, Piazza Ghiaia became the new commercial center of the city.
In 1836 the so-called "Beccherie" were built, with the intention of grouping the local butchers. Following their demolition, a covered market was built in 1928. In the fifties of the twentieth century, canopies were installed for street vendors, replaced in recent times by a glass roof.
Even today, Piazza Ghiaia continues to host several markets, keeping its historical commercial vocation alive.
To taste
At this point it will be lunchtime! You can take a gastronomic break in one of the many restaurants in the center while tasting a good plate of tortelli d'erbetta or a hot plate of tasty anolini.
Returning to Piazza Garibaldi from Via Mazzini, take Via Farini, formerly known as Strada dei Genovesi. This name is due to the presence of the warehouses of the Genoese merchants, who from here forwarded Parma cheeses and cured meats to the Ligurian port.
Near the street there was also the headquarters of the Confraternity of the Parma Lardaroli, active in the trade of numerous foodstuffs: cheeses, salted meat in pieces, oil, tallow candles, salted fish, eels, sausages and butter.
A stretch of the city that tells the importance of Parma as a historic commercial hub, linked to the distribution of local food products.
The last stage of the itinerary leads you to Strada al Ponte Caprazucca, formerly known as the Strada dei Genovesi. Here, in a short time, you reach Palazzo Bossi Bocchi, a building of eighteenth-century origin that houses the Art Collections of the Cariparma Foundation.
Among the various sections, the following stands out:
Tips
The day is coming to an end and you can enjoy a tasty aperitif with a platter of cold cuts, Parmigiano Reggiano and a good glass of Lambrusco.
