The complex of San Paolo is a former Benedictine nunnery in the centre of Parma. The nunnery was founded at the end of the tenth century by the then bishop of the city, Sigefredo II, and was considered very prestigious. Its prestige was based on the fact that it was…
The Biblioteca Palatina in Parma is a very special place. This was demonstrated in the episode The Art of the Feast of the BBC series Italy Unpacked. In this episode, presenter and chef Giorgio Locatelli found a book of recipes in the library that was written in 1680 by Carlo…
The Galleria Nazionale is the largest and most important museum in the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma. Our first visit to the museum was in the summer of 2020, but unfortunately many of the rooms were closed back then because of COVID-19 restrictions. As a consequence we missed the works…
OK, perhaps it was not such a clever question, and perhaps I had not done my homework very well. When I bought a ticket for entry to the Palazzo della Pilotta I asked the lady at the counter whether the Teatro Farnese inside the palazzo was a copy of the…
The district west of Parma’s historical city centre is called Oltretorrente, which means ‘beyond the river’. This is of course a reference to the river Parma. It is hard to miss the church of Santissima Annunziata while exploring Oltretorrente. The church, which is alternatively known as the Basilica del Paradiso,…
“Is that all?” I will not hide the fact that that was my primary reaction when I visited the Museo Diocesano in Parma. The museum, in the basement of the episcopal palace opposite the Duomo, is very small indeed. It basically consists of one large room, a corridor and a…
The basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata can be counted among the most important churches in Parma. Since 1718 it has been the seat of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, a Catholic order with a rather shady history. The church also serves as the mausoleum of members…
The church of San Giovanni Evangelista is situated directly behind the cathedral of Parma. The large church is part of an even larger Benedictine abbey. The first abbey complex dates back to the tenth century: it was built between 980 and 988 and replaced an older oratory dedicated to the…
The beautiful Baptistery of Parma occupies the south side of the Piazza del Duomo. The building, clad in pink marble from Verona, is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The lower part has the well-known Romanesque rounded arches and Romanesque sculptures, but higher up these rounded arches have already…
The cathedral of Parma is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Santa Maria Assunta in Italian. It is an impressive building on the east side of the Piazza del Duomo, with the Baptistery and the episcopal palace housing the museum of the diocese (Museo Diocesano) on the south…