Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of

Emilia-Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both , ; or ; ) is an Regions of Italy, administrative region of northern Italy, comprising the historical regions of Emilia (region), Emilia and Romagna. Its capital is Bologna. It has an area of , and a population of 4.4 m ...

known for its

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, art,

prosciutto Prosciutto ( ; ), also known as ''prosciutto crudo'', is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. It is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo'', each with degrees of protected ...

(ham),

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, Parma is the second most populous city in

after Bologna, the region's capital. The city is home to the

University of Parma The University of Parma () is a public university located in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Organized into nine departments, it is one of the oldest universities in the world. As of 2016, it had approximately 26,000 students. History During the ...

, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the stream of the same name. The district on the west side of the river is ''Oltretorrente'', meaning ''The other side of the stream''. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called ''

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

''.

History

Prehistory

Parma was already a built-up area in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. In the current position of the city rose a

terramare Terramare, terramara, or terremare is a technology complex mainly of the central Po valley, in Emilia, Northern Italy, dating to the Middle and Late Bronze Age c. 1700–1150 BC. It takes its name from the "black earth" residue of settlement m ...

. The "terramare" (marl earth) were ancient villages built of wood on piles according to a defined scheme and squared form; constructed on dry land and generally in proximity to the rivers. During this age (between 1500 BC and 800 BC) the first

necropoleis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

(on the sites of the present-day Piazza Duomo and Piazzale della Macina) were constructed.

Antiquity

The city was most probably founded and named by the

Etruscans The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...

, for a ''parma'' or ''palma'' (circular shield) was a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

borrowing, as were many Roman terms for particular arms, and the names ''Parmeal'', ''Parmni'' and ''Parmnial'' appear in Etruscan inscriptions.

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

reported that the Romans had changed their rectangular shields for round ones, imitating the Etruscans. Whether the Etruscan encampment acquired its name from its round shape, like a shield, or from its metaphorical function as a shield against the Gauls to the north, remains uncertain. The

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

colony was founded in 183 BC, together with Mutina (

Modena Modena (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It has 184,739 inhabitants as of 2025. A town, and seat of an archbis ...

); 2,000 families were settled. Parma had a certain importance as a road hub over the

Via Aemilia The Via Aemilia (, ) was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from ''Ariminum'' (Rimini), on the Adriatic coast, to ''Placentia'' (Piacenza) on the River ''Padus'' ( Po). It was completed in 187 BC. The Via Aemilia connected a ...

and the Via Claudia. It had a forum, in what is today the central Garibaldi Square. In April 43 BC the city was destroyed. Subsequently

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

rebuilt it. During the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, it gained the title of ''Julia'' for its loyalty to the imperial house.

Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...

sacked the city in 452, and the Germanic king

Odoacer Odoacer ( – 15 March 493 AD), also spelled Odovacer or Odovacar, was a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube who deposed the Western Roman child emperor Romulus Augustulus and became the ruler of Italy (476–493). Odoacer' ...

later gifted it to his followers. During the Gothic War, however,

Totila Totila, original name Baduila (died 1 July 552), was the penultimate King of the Ostrogoths, reigning from 541 to 552 AD. A skilled military and political leader, Totila reversed the tide of the Gothic War (535–554), Gothic War, recovering b ...

destroyed it. It was then part of the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

Exarchate of Ravenna The Exarchate of Ravenna (; ), also known as the Exarchate of Italy, was an administrative district of the Byzantine Empire comprising, between the 6th and 8th centuries, the territories under the jurisdiction of the exarch of Italy (''exarchus ...

(changing its name to ''Chrysopolis'', "Golden City", probably due to the presence of the imperial treasury) and, from 569, of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy. During the Middle Ages, Parma became an important stage of the

Via Francigena The Via Francigena (), also known as Francisca or Romea, is an ancient road and Christian pilgrimage, pilgrimage route running from the City status in the United Kingdom#Cathedral towns, cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and ...

, the main road connecting Rome to Northern Europe; several castles, hospitals and inns were built in the following centuries to host the increasing number of pilgrims who passed by Parma and Fidenza, following the Apennines via Collecchio, Berceto and the Corchia ranges before descending the Passo della Cisa into Tuscany, heading finally south toward Rome. The city had a medieval Jewish community. The Palatine Library houses the largest collection of Hebrew manuscripts in Italy, and the second-largest in the world after the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Middle Ages

Under

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

rule, Parma became the capital of a county in 774. Like most northern Italian cities, it was nominally a part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

created by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, but locally ruled by its bishops, the first being Guibodus. In the subsequent struggles between the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

and the Empire, Parma was usually a member of the Imperial party. Two of its bishops became

antipope An antipope () is a person who claims to be Bishop of Rome and leader of the Roman Catholic Church in opposition to the officially elected pope. Between the 3rd and mid-15th centuries, antipopes were supported by factions within the Church its ...

s: Càdalo, founder of the cathedral, as

Honorius II Pope Honorius II (9 February 1060 – 13 February 1130), born Lamberto Scannabecchi,Levillain, pg. 731 was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 December 1124 to his death in 1130. Although from a humble background, ...

; and Guibert, as

Clement III Pope Clement III (; 1130 – 20 March 1191), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by allowing the electi ...

. An almost independent commune was created around 1140; a treaty between Parma and

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

of 1149 is the earliest document of a ''comune'' headed by

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...

s. After the

Peace of Constance The Peace of Constance (25 June 1183) was a Privilege (law), privilege granted by Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his son and co-ruler, Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry VI, King of the Romans, to the members of the Lombard League to end th ...

in 1183 confirmed the Italian communes' rights of self-governance, long-standing quarrels with the neighbouring communes of

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...

, Piacenza and

Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...

became harsher, with the aim of controlling the vital trading line over the

Po River The Po ( , ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy, starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is , or if the Maira (river), Maira, a right bank tributary, is included. The headwaters of the Po are forme ...

. The struggle between

Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were Political faction, factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th ...

was a feature of Parma too. In 1213, her was the Guelph

Rambertino Buvalelli Rambertino di Guido Buvalelli (1170 or 1180 – September 1221), a Bolognese judge, statesman, diplomat, and poet, was the earliest of the ''podestà''-troubadours of thirteenth-century Lombardy. He served at one time or other as ''podestà' ...

. Then, after a long stance alongside the emperors, the Papist families of the city gained control in 1248. The city was besieged in 1247–48 by Emperor Frederick II, who was however crushed in the battle that ensued. By 1328,

Rolando de' Rossi Rolando de' Rossi (c. 1285 – May 1345) was an Italian nobleman and statesman. He was the dominant force in the politics of the Medieval commune, commune of Parma from 1322 until 1335, effectively as ''signore'' between 1328 and 1331. Under ...

was made ''

signore A ''signoria'' () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city-states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. The word ''signoria'' comes from ''signore'' (), or "lord", an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government", "governi ...

'' of Parma. In 1331, the city submitted to King

John of Bohemia John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...

. Parma fell under the control of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

in 1341. After a short-lived period of independence under the Terzi family (1404–1409), the

Sforza The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. Sforza rule began with the family's acquisition of the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti of Milan, Visconti family in the mid-15th century and ...

imposed their rule (1440–1449) through their associated families of

Pallavicino Pallavicino () is an Italian surname, derived from a medieval given name. Notable people with the name include: * the following members of the noble Pallavicini family: ** Antonio Pallavicino (1441–1507), Italian Roman Catholic cardinal ** Batti ...

, Rossi, Sanvitale and Da Correggio. These created a kind of new

feudalism Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

, building towers and castles throughout the city and the land. These fiefs evolved into truly independent states: the Landi governed the higher

Taro Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...

's valley from 1257 to 1682. The Pallavicino seignory extended over the eastern part of today's province, with the capital in

Busseto Busseto ( Bussetano: ; Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy with about inhabitants. Its history is quite well documented back to the 10th century, and for almost five hundred years it was the ...

. Parma's territories were an exception for Northern Italy, as its feudal subdivision frequently continued until more recent years. For example, Solignano was a Pallavicino family possession until 1805, and San Secondo belonged to the Rossi well into the 19th century.

Modern era

Between the 14th and the 15th centuries, Parma was at the centre of the Italian Wars. The

Battle of Fornovo The Battle of Fornovo took place 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the city of Parma on 6 July 1495. It was fought as Charles VIII of France, King Charles VIII of Kingdom of France, France left Kingdom of Naples, Naples upon hearing the news of the ...

was fought in its territory. The

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

held the city in 1500–1521, with a short Papal parenthesis in 1512–1515. After the foreigners were expelled, Parma belonged to the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

until 1545. In that year the Farnese pope,

Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...

, detached Parma and

from the Papal States and gave them as a duchy to his illegitimate son,

Pier Luigi Farnese Pier Luigi Farnese (19 November 1503 – 10 September 1547) was the first Duke of Castro from 1537 to 1545 and the first Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1545 to 1547. He was the illegitimate son of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (who later became ...

, whose descendants ruled in Parma until 1731, when

Antonio Farnese Antonio Farnese (29 November 1679 – 20 January 1731) was the eighth and final Farnese Duke of Parma and Piacenza. He married, in 1727, Enrichetta d'Este of Modena with the intention of begetting an heir. The marriage, however, was childl ...

, last male of the Farnese line, died. In 1594 a constitution was promulgated, the

University A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

enhanced and the Nobles' College founded. There was also an important Jesuit college in Parma: it was the largest owned by the order in the entire region of Emilia-Romagna and it acquired a strong reputation in the scientific field, given that Fathers

Giuseppe Biancani Giuseppe Biancani (; 8 March 1566 – 7 June 1624) was an Italian Jesuit astronomer, mathematician, and selenographer, after whom the crater Blancanus on the Moon is named. Biancani was one of the most able and respected Catholic astronomers ...

Niccolò Cabeo Niccolò Cabeo, (also known as Nicolaus Cabeus; February 26, 1586 – June 30, 1650) was an Italian Jesuit philosopher, theologian, engineer and mathematician. Biography He was born in Ferrara in 1586, and was educated at the Jesuit college ...

and Mario Bettinus, all members of the order, taught there. The war to reduce the barons' power continued for several years: in 1612

Barbara Sanseverino Barbara Sanseverino (Milan, 1550 – Parma, 19 May 1612) was an Italian noblewoman. Biography Daughter of Gianfrancesco and Lavinia Sanseverino, she moved to Parma after marrying Giberto IV Sanvitale, Lord of Sala Baganza. In 1585 Giberto died ...

was executed in the central square of Parma, together with six other nobles charged of plotting against the duke. At the end of the 17th century, after the defeat of Pallavicini (1588) and Landi (1682) the Farnese duke could finally hold with firm hand all Parmense territories. The castle of the Sanseverino in

Colorno Colorno ( Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma, within the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. It is located about northwest of Bologna and approximately north of Parma. Colorno borders the following municipalitie ...

was turned into a luxurious summer palace by Ferdinando Bibiena. In the Treaty of London (1718) it was promulgated that the heir to the combined

Duchy of Parma The Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (, ) was an Italian state created in 1545 and located in northern Italy, in the current region of Emilia-Romagna. Originally a realm of the Farnese family after Pope Paul III made it a hereditary duchy for his s ...

and

would be

Elisabeth Farnese Elisabeth Farnese (Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel de Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She was the '' de facto'' ruler of Spain from 1714 until 1746, since she managed ...

's elder son with

Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was List of Spanish monarchs, King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign (45 years and 16 days) is the longest in the ...

Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...

. In 1731, the fifteen-year-old Don Carlos became Charles I Duke of Parma and Piacenza, at the death of his childless great uncle Antonio Farnese. In 1734, Charles I conquered the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and was crowned as the King of Naples and Sicily on 3 July 1735, leaving the Duchy of Parma to his brother Philip (Filippo I di Borbone-Parma). All the outstanding art collections of the duke's palaces of Parma,

and

Sala Baganza Sala Baganza (Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about southwest of Parma. Sala Baganza borders the following municipalities: Calest ...

were moved to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. Parma was under French influence after the Peace of Aachen (1748). Parma became a modern state with the energetic action of prime minister

Guillaume du Tillot Léon Guillaume (du) Tillot (22 May 1711 in Bayonne – 13 December 1774 in Paris) was a French politician infused with liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, who from 1759 was the minister of the Duchy of Parma under Philip, Duke of Parma and his ...

. He created the bases for a modern industry and fought strenuously against the church's privileges. The city lived a period of particular splendour: the

Biblioteca Palatina The Biblioteca Palatina, or Palatina Library, was established in 1761 in the city of Parma by Philip Bourbon, Duke of Parma. It is one of the cultural institutions housed within the Palazzo della Pilotta complex in the center of Parma. The lib ...

(Palatine Library), the Archaeological Museum, the Picture Gallery and the Botanical Garden were founded, together with the Royal Printing Works directed by

Giambattista Bodoni Giambattista Bodoni (, ; 16 February 1740 – 30 November 1813) was an Italian Typography, typographer, type-designer, compositor, Printing, printer, and publisher in Parma. He first took the type-designs of Pierre Simon Fournier as his exempla ...

, aided by the

Amoretti Brothers The Amoretti (, 18th to 19th centuries) were a family of type-engravers, printers, mechanics, and blacksmiths of the Duchy of Parma. They were initially friends and pupils of the printer Giambattista Bodoni, although they ultimately parted ways ...

as skilled and inspired punchcutters.

Contemporary age

During the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

(1802–1814), Parma was annexed to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and made capital of the Taro Department. Under its French name, Parme, it was also created a '' duché grand-fief de l'Empire'' for

Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance Charles-François is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Charles-François de Broglie, marquis de Ruffec Charles-François is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Charles-François de Broglie, marquis de Ruffec ...

, the Emperor's Arch-Treasurer, on 24 April 1808 (extinguished in 1926). After the restoration of the Duchy of Parma by the 1814–15

Vienna Congress The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

, the

Risorgimento The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

's upheavals had no fertile ground in the tranquil duchy. In 1847, after

Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma Marie Louise (Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Theresia Josepha Lucia; 12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847) was Duchess of Parma from 11 April 1814 until her death in 1847. She was Napoleon's second wife and as such Empress of the French a ...

's death, it passed again to the

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a dynasty that originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarre in the 16th century. A br ...

, the last of whom was stabbed in the city and left it to his widow, Luisa Maria of Berry. On 15 September 1859 the dynasty was declared deposed, and Parma entered the newly formed province of Emilia under

Luigi Carlo Farini Luigi Carlo Farini (22 October 1812 – 1 August 1866) was an Italian physician, statesman and historian. Biography Farini was born at Russi, in what is now the province of Ravenna. After completing a university course at Bologna, whic ...

. With the

plebiscite A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a direct vote by the electorate (rather than their representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either binding (resulting in the adoption of a new policy) or adv ...

of 1860 the former duchy became part of the unified

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...

. The loss of the capital role provoked an economic and social crisis in Parma. It started to recover its role of industrial prominence after the railway connection with

and

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

of 1859, and with Fornovo and

Suzzara Suzzara ( Lower Mantovano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Mantua, in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about south of the city of Mantua. Suzzara was given the honorary title of a city by ...

in 1883.

Trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s were strong in the city, in which a notable General Strike was declared from 1 May to 6 June 1908. The struggle with

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

had its most dramatic moment in August 1922, when the regime officer

Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Italian Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian ...

attempted to enter the popular quarter of Oltretorrente. The citizens organized into the ''

Arditi del Popolo The ''Arditi del Popolo'' () was an Italian militant anti-fascist group founded at the end of June 1921 to resist the rise of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party and the violence of the Blackshirts (''squadristi'') paramilitaries.

'' ("The people's daring ones") and pushed back the

squadristi The Voluntary Militia for National Security (, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts (, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the National Fascist Party, known as the Squadrismo, and after 1923 an all-vo ...

. This episode is considered the first example of Resistance in Italy. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Parma was a strong centre of

partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

resistance. The train station and marshalling yards were targets for high altitude bombing by the Allies in the spring of 1944. Much of the

Palazzo della Pilotta The Palazzo della Pilotta is a complex of edifices located between Piazzale della Pace and the Lungoparma in the historical centre of Parma, region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. Its name derives from the game of pelota played at one time by Spanish s ...

, situated not far (half a mile) from the train station, was destroyed. Along with it the

Teatro Farnese Teatro Farnese is a Renaissance Theater (structure), theatre in the Palazzo della Pilotta, Parma, Italy. It was built in 1618 by Giovanni Battista Aleotti. The idea of creating this grand theater came from the Duke of Parma and Piacenza Ranuccio I ...

and part of the

were destroyed by Allied bombs; some 21,000 volumes of the library's collection were lost. Several other monuments were also damaged: Palazzo del Giardino, Steccata and San Giovanni churches, Palazzo Ducale, Paganini theater and the monument to

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

. However, Parma did not see widespread destruction during the war. Parma was liberated from the German occupation (1943–1945) on 26 April 1945 by the partisan resistance and the

Brazilian Expeditionary Force The Brazilian Expeditionary Force (, FEB), nicknamed (literally "the Smoking Snakes"), was a military division of the Brazilian Army and Air Force that fought as part of Allied forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II. It numbere ...

. While modern city politics has been dominated (as in much of Emilia-Romagna) by the left, in 1998 Parma elected centre-right candidate Elvio Ubaldi as mayor, again in 2002, and in 2007 elected the centre-right candidate Pietro Vignali. During their terms, Parma suffered from fiscal mismanagement, Vignali left office in 2011 with the city's debts amounting to over 600 million euros. In 2012, the city elected Federico Pizzarotti as mayor, making him the first mayor of a provincial capital to hail from

Five Star Movement The Five Star Movement ( , M5S) is a political party in Italy, led by Giuseppe Conte. It was launched on 4 October 2009 by Beppe Grillo, a political activist and comedian, and Gianroberto Casaleggio, a web strategist. The party is primarily d ...

Geography

Climate

In Parma, the average annual high temperature is , the annual low temperature is , and the annual precipitation is . The following data comes from the weather station located at the university in the city center. It is affected by the

urban heat island Urban areas usually experience the urban heat island (UHI) effect; that is, they are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds ar ...

phenomenon. Parma has a

mid-latitude The middle latitudes, also called the mid-latitudes (sometimes spelled midlatitudes) or moderate latitudes, are spatial regions on either hemisphere of Earth, located between the Tropic of Cancer (latitude ) and the Arctic Circle () in the nort ...

, four-season

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfa'') with heavy continental influences due to the city's inland position. Relatively nearby coastal areas like

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

have far milder climates with cooler summers and milder winters, with the mountains separating Parma from the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

acting as a barrier to the sea air. The city receives approximately 45 cm of snow each winter.

Main sights

Religious buildings

* ''

Parma Cathedral Parma Cathedral () is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Parma. It is an important Italian Romanesque cathedral: the dome, in ...

'' (begun 1090) – Romanesque church housing a 12th-century sculpture by

Benedetto Antelami Benedetto Antelami (c. 1150 – c. 1230)"Antelami, Benedetto" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 441. was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Romanesque school, who ...

and the dome fresco (1526–1530) by

Antonio da Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for so ...

. * ''

Baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...

'' (begun 1196) – pink Verona marble baptistery by Antelami, adjacent to the cathedral. * ''

San Giovanni Evangelista San Giovanni Evangelista is a church in Ravenna, Italy. It was built in the fifth century AD by the Roman imperial princess Galla Placidia "in fulfilment of a vow made by her to S. John Evangelist, when, on her way from Constantinople to Ravenna ...

'' (10th century; rebuilt 1498 & 1510) – abbey church behind the cathedral's apse, with a late-Mannerist façade by Simone Moschino. The cupola is frescoed with Correggio's '' Vision of St. John the Evangelist'' (1520–22), a landmark in illusionistic perspective ceilings. Cloisters and library also notable. * ''

Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata The Shrine of Santa Maria della Steccata is a Greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy. The name derives from the fence () in the church. A Nursing Madonna is enshrined within, crowned on 27 May 1601 by a Marian devotee, Fra ...

'' (begun 1521) – octagonal Renaissance church famous for Correggio's cupola frescoes. * ''

Sant'Uldarico, Parma The church of Sant'Uldarico is located on Farini Street in Parma. History The church of Sant'Uldarico was built on the site of ancient Roman theater, and initially consecrated in 1411. The present façade was completed in 1762 by Gaetano Ghidetti. ...

'' (built 1411) – late-Gothic church originally part of a convent. * ''

San Paolo, Parma file:Monastero_di_San_Paolo,_ingresso.JPG, Entrance to the monastery. San Paolo is a former convent in central Parma, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is best known for housing the ''Camera di San Paolo'' (Chamber of St Paul), decorated by a mast ...

'' (11th century) – former Benedictine convent housing Correggio's frescoes in the ''

Camera di San Paolo file:Correggio_013.jpg, 250px, Overview of the vault (architecture), vault frescoes. file:Stemma_badessa_Giovanna_da_Piacenza.jpg, 250px, Coat of arms of abbess Giovanna. file:Correggio_025.jpg, 250px, The fresco of Diana in the fireplace. The ''Ca ...

'' (1519–20) and paintings by Alessandro Araldi. * '' San Francesco del Prato'' (13th century) – Gothic church used as a jail from the Napoleonic era until the 1990s, when its 16 façade windows were reopened. The Oratory of the Concezione contains frescoes by

Michelangelo Anselmi Michelangelo Anselmi ( – ) was an Italian Renaissance-Mannerist painter active mostly in Parma. Biography He was born, apparently in Tuscany, perhaps in Lucca, from a Parmesan family of ancient Langobard origin, known as Anselmi di Card ...

and Francesco Rondani. * '' Santa Croce'' (12th century) – Romanesque church with a nave and two aisles ending in a semicircular apse. Rebuilt in 1415 and again in 1635–66. Nave frescoes by

Giovanni Maria Conti Giovanni Maria Conti, also called Giovanni dalla Camera (active 1617–1670) was an Italian painter active during the Baroque period in Parma. Biography He painted the monochrome decoration on the pilasters of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della ...

, Francesco Reti and Antonio Lombardi date from these periods. * '' San Sepolcro'' (1275) – church erected over an earlier building; interiors renovated in 1506, 1603 and 1701. The Baroque bell tower dates to 1616 and its bells to 1753. Adjacent stands the former monastery (1493–95) of the Lateran Canons. * '' Santa Caterina d'Alessandria'' (14th century) – Gothic church noted for its lancet windows and simple brick façade. * '' Santa Maria del Quartiere'' (1604–19) – unusual hexagonal-plan church; cupola frescoes by

Pier Antonio Bernabei Pier Antonio Bernabei (1570–1630) was an Italian painter also known as Della Casa. Biography A native of Parma, Pier Antonio Bernabei was a follower of the style of Antonio Allegri, Correggio. Among his best-known works is a frescoed v ...

and pupils. * ''

San Rocco San Rocco (Italian, 'Saint Roch'), may refer to: Places in Italy * San Rocco di Piegara, frazione of Roverè Veronese, Verona, Veneto, Italy * San Rocco al Porto, commune in Province of Lodi, Lombardy, Italy Churches in Italy * San Rocco, Capra ...

'' (rebuilt 1754) – late-Baroque church dedicated to one of Parma's patron saints. * '' Santa Cristina'' (begun 1610) – Baroque church renowned for its elaborate stucco decoration.

Secular buildings

* ''

Palazzo Ducale Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon * Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy * ...

'' (begun 1622) – former residence of the Farnese dukes, featuring Baroque interiors and the Theatre of the Ducal Palace. * ''

'' (1583) – houses the Academy of Fine Arts (School of Parma), the Palatine Library, the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

, the Archaeological Museum, the Bodoni Museum, and the Farnese Theatre. Partially destroyed during World War II. * ''

Palazzo del Giardino A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

'' (1561) – designed by

Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola ( , , ; 1 October 15077 July 1573), often simply called Vignola, was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Chu ...

for Duke

Ottavio Farnese Ottavio Farnese (9 October 1524 – 18 September 1586) reigned as Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1547 until his death and Duke of Castro from 1545 to 1547 and from 1553 until his death. Biography Born in Valentano, Ottavio was the second so ...

on the former Sforza castle site; enlarged in the 17th–18th centuries. Includes the ''Palazzo Eucherio Sanvitale'' with 16th-century decorations attributed to Gianfrancesco d'Agrate and a fresco by

Parmigianino Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (11 January 150324 August 1540), also known as Francesco Mazzola or, more commonly, as Parmigianino (, , ; "the little one from Parma"), was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, ...

. The annexed Ducal Park was laid out in French style in 1749. * '' Palazzo del Comune'' (1627) – municipal offices. * ''

Palazzo del Governatore A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

'' (13th century) – Governor's Palace. * ''Bishop's Palace'' (1055) – episcopal residence adjacent to the cathedral. * ''Ospedale Vecchio'' (1250) – old hospital later renovated in Renaissance style. * '' Palazzo Tarasconi'' (19th century) – historic urban palace now used as an exhibition space.

Other sites of interest

* ''The Cittadella'' (16th century) – fortress erected by Duke Alessandro Farnese, adjacent to the old city walls. * ''Pons Lapidis'' (reign of Augustus, 1st century AD) – ruins of an ancient Roman stone bridge also known as the Roman Bridge or Theoderic's Bridge. * '' Orto Botanico di Parma'' (est. 1773) – botanical garden maintained by the University of Parma. * ''

'' (1618–19) – all-wood theatre designed by Giovan Battista Aleotti; commissioned by Duke Ranuccio I Farnese for the visit of

Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. ...

. * '' Teatro Regio'' (1821–29) – city opera house by Nicola Bettoli, featuring a Neoclassical façade and a porch with a double window order. * ''Auditorium Niccolò Paganini'' – concert hall designed by

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable works include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), Kansai International Airport in Osaka (1994), the Whitney ...

. * '' Museum House of Arturo Toscanini'' – birthplace of conductor Arturo Toscanini, now a museum. * '' Museo Lombardi'' – exhibits art and historical items related to Maria Luigia of Habsburg and

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, as well as documents of the Duchy of Parma in the 18th–19th centuries.

Demographics

On 1 January 2016, there were 192,836 resident citizens in Parma, of whom 47.64% were male and 52.36% were female. Minors (children aged 18 and younger) totalled 16.46% of the population; this is compared to pensioners, who numbered 22.64%. This compares with the Italian average of 17.45% and 22.04% respectively. In the fourteen years between 2002 and 2016, the population of Parma experienced 17.72% growth, while

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

as a whole grew by 6.45%. In the same period foreign born residents in Parma experienced +385.02% growth, while in Italy growth was of +274.75%. The current birth rate of Parma is 8.62 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 8.01 births., 84.09% of the population was

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

. The largest foreign group came from other parts of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

(namely

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

: 6.45%), followed by

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

(namely

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

and

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...

: 1.81%),

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

(namely

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

and

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

: 1.46%) and the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

: 1.33%.

Culture

Food and cuisine

Parma is famous for its food and rich gastronomical tradition: two of its specialties are ''

Parmigiano Reggiano Parmesan (, ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cow's milk and aged at least 12 months. It is a grana-type cheese, along with Grana Padano, the historic , and others. The term ''Parmesan'' may refer to either Parmigiano ...

(also produced in

) and ''

Prosciutto di Parma Prosciutto ( ; ), also known as ''prosciutto crudo'', is an uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. It is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo'', each with degrees of protected ...

'' ("Parma ham"), both given

Protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...

status. Parma also claims several stuffed pasta dishes, such as ''tortelli d'erbetta'' and ''anolini in brodo''. In 2004, Parma was appointed the seat of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and was appointed to the

Creative Cities Network The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a flagship city programme of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which have recognized culture and creativity as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development Urban means ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

City of Gastronomy. Parma also has two food multinationals,

Barilla ''Barilla'' refers to several species of salt-tolerant (halophyte) plants that, until the 19th century, were the primary source of soda ash and hence of sodium carbonate. The word "barilla" was also used directly to refer to the soda ash obtain ...

and

Parmalat Parmalat S.p.A. is an Italian dairy and food corporation which is a subsidiary of French multinational company Lactalis. It was founded by Calisto Tanzi in 1961. Having become the leading global company in the production of long-life milk us ...

, and a medium-large food tourism sector, represented by Parma Golosa and Food Valley companies. File:Parmigiano_reggiano_piece.jpg, ''Parmigiano Reggiano'' cheese, the true "Parmesan" File:Prosciutto_di_Parma_-_affettato2.jpg, ''Prosciutto di Parma'' (cured ham) File:Tortelli d'erbetta.jpg, ''Tortelli d'erbetta'' File:Anolini in brodo.jpg, ''Anolini in brodo''

''Frazioni''

The comune (municipality) of Parma is subdivided into a number of

frazioni A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...

: Alberi, Baganzola, Beneceto, Botteghino, Ca'Terzi, Calestano, Carignano, Carpaneto, Cartiera, Casalbaroncolo, Casalora di Ravadese, Casaltone, Case Capelli, Case Cocconi, Case Crostolo, Case Nuove, Case Rosse, Case Vecchie, Casino dalla Rosa, Casagnola, Castelletto, Castelnovo, Cervara, Chiozzola, Coloreto, Colorno, Corcagnano, Eia, Fontanini, Fontanellato, Fontevivo, Gaione, Ghiaiata Nuova, Il Moro, La Catena, La Palazzina, Malandriano, Marano, Marore, Martorano, Molino di Malandriano, Osteria San Martino, Panocchia, Paradigna, Pedrignano, Pilastrello, Pizzolese, Ponte, Porporano, Pozzetto Piccolo, Quercioli, Ravadese, Ronco Pascolo, Rosa,

San Pancrazio The basilica of San Pancrazio (; ) is a Catholic minor basilica and titular, conventual, and parish church founded by Pope Symmachus in the 6th century in Rome, Italy. It stands in via S. Pancrazio, westward beyond the Porta San Pancrazio tha ...

, San Prospero, San Ruffino, San Secondo, Sissa, Soragna, Terenzo, Tizzano Val Parma, Traversetolo, Trecasali, Valera, Viarolo, Viazza, Vicofertile, Vicomero, Vigatto, Vigheffio, Vigolante.

Notable people

Painters and sculptors

, painter born in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, architect and sculptor * Alessandro Araldi, painter * Sisto Badalocchio, painter * Jacopo Bertoia (Giacomo Zanguidi or Jacopo Zanguidi or Bertoja), painter * Amedeo Bocchi, painter * Giulio Carmignani, painter *

(Antonio Allegri), born in

Correggio Antonio Allegri da Correggio (August 1489 – 5 March 1534), usually known as just Correggio (, also , , ), was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for som ...

(

), painter Correggio 010

* Francesco Marmitta, painter *

Filippo Mazzola Filippo Mazzola (1460 - 1505) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born in Parma, his father was Bartholomew, and he became a pupil of Francesco Tacconi. He worked mainly in the area between Parma and Piacenza. There is docum ...

, painter * Francesco Mazzola, best known as Il

, painter *

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli (c. 1500–1569) was an Italian painter active in the Mannerist style. Biography Bedoli was born in Parma in a family coming from Viadana in Lombardy. He was a near contemporary of Parmigianino, and after the early deat ...

, painter *

Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani (15 July 1490 – September 1550) was an Italian painter, active in a Renaissance style in Parma. Biography He was a near contemporary of Michelangelo Anselmi, and is known to have worked on designs of Antonio da ...

, painter * Bartolomeo Schedoni, painter

Others

Vittorio Adorni Vittorio Adorni (14 November 1937 – 24 December 2022) was an Italian professional road racing cyclist. Early life and amateur career Adorni was born in San Lazzaro di Parma on 14 November 1937.

, cyclist * Deborah Lettieri, dancer at Crazy Horse de Paris, choreographer and TV talent show judge *

Giovanni Amighetti Giovanni Amighetti (born 21 February 1971 in Parma, Italy) is an Italian contemporary musician. He studied classical piano and began playing with avantgarde band Fondamenta and :it:Area (gruppo musicale), AREA drummer Giulio Capiozzo in late ei ...

, composer and musician *

, typographers and typefounders, Bodoni's opponents *

Andrea Belicchi Andrea Belicchi (born 18 December 1976) is an Italian professional racing driver. He has competed in such series as the Porsche Supercup, Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship. He won the Russian Formula Three Championship in 2002 ...

, racing driver *

Attilio Bertolucci Attilio Bertolucci (18 November 1911 – 14 June 2000) was an Italian poet and writer. He was the father of film directors Bernardo and Giuseppe Bertolucci. Biography Bertolucci was born at San Lazzaro (province of Parma), to a family of agric ...

, poet *

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci ( ; ; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved inte ...

, director *

Giuseppe Bertolucci Giuseppe Bertolucci (27 February 1947 – 16 June 2012) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 26 films between 1972 and 2012. He was the younger brother of Bernardo Bertolucci. Selected filmography * ''Berlinguer, I Lov ...

, director * Giacomo Belli, musician *

, typographer *

Vittorio Bottego Vittorio Bottego (; Parma, 29 July 1860 – Dhaga Roba, 17 March 1897) was an Italian army officer and one of the first Western explorers of Jubaland and southern Ethiopia, where he led two expeditions. He was the first European explorer to fo ...

, explorer *

Cleofonte Campanini Cleofonte Campanini (1 September 1860 – 19 December 1919) was an Italian conductor and violinist. As a teenager he had a brief but successful career as a concert violinist in Italy and in theaters in Berlin and London. He abandoned the violin ...

, conductor *

Francesco Cura Francesco Cura (born 7 March 1977), is an American actor, singer, and fashion model. Sometimes credited as ''Francis J. Cura'' or ''Francesco Maria Cura'', he has starred in feature films such as ''Hannah Can't Swim'', ''Singularity'', ''The De ...

, actor, singer and model *

Elizabeth Farnese Elisabeth Farnese (Italian: ''Elisabetta Farnese'', Spanish: ''Isabel de Farnesio''; 25 October 169211 July 1766) was Queen of Spain by marriage to King Philip V. She was the '' de facto'' ruler of Spain from 1714 until 1746, since she managed ...

, Queen of Spain *

Odoardo Farnese Odoardo Farnese may refer to: *Odoardo Farnese (cardinal) (1573–1626) * Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma (1612–1646) *Odoardo Farnese, Hereditary Prince of Parma Odoardo Farnese (12 August 1666 – 6 September 1693) was the eldest son of Duke ...

, duke of Parma *

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Alexander Farnese (, ; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and military leader, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592, as well as Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592. Nephew to Kin ...

, military commander *

Adalgisa Gabbi Adalgisa Gabbi (23 May 1857 – 16 December 1933) was an Italian operatic soprano. After her 1875 debut in Lecco as Maria in Filippo Marchetti's ''Ruy Blas'', she first made a name abroad, performing in Poland, Latin America, and London. It was ...

(1857–1933), opera singer *

Francesco Gabriele Frola Francesco Gabriele Frola is an Italian ballet dancer. He joined the National Ballet of Canada in 2010, and in 2018, he was promoted to principal dancer, the highest rank in the company. The same year, he joined the English National Ballet as a pri ...

, ballet dancer *

Vittorio Gallese Vittorio Gallese is professor of Psychobiology at the University of Parma, Italy, and was professor in Experimental Aesthetics at the University of London, UK (2016–2018). He is an expert in neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, social neu ...

, physiologist * Pietro Gandolfi, racing driver *

Fiorello Giraud Fiorello Giraud (22 October 1870 – 28 March 1928) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang leading roles in many Italian opera houses during the course of his career, including La Scala, the Teatro Regio di Parma, and the Teatro Regio di Torino ...

, opera singer *

Giovannino Guareschi Giovannino Oliviero Giuseppe Guareschi (; 1 May 1908 – 22 July 1968) was an Italian journalist, cartoonist, and humorist whose best known creation is the priest Don Camillo and Peppone, Don Camillo. Life and career Guareschi was born into a ...

, writer * Enzo Magnanini, footballer *

Adriano Malori Adriano Malori (born 28 January 1988) is an Italian former road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2017 for the and squads. During his professional career, Malori took fifteen victories, primarily in individual time trial ...

, cyclist *

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), which made him a pop cul ...

, actor *

Antonio Brianti Antonio Brianti (15 April 1739 – 8 May 1787) was an Italian architect, active mainly in his native Parma. He was a pupil of the decorative architect Gaetano Ghidetti. His early years were involved in decorative work, but in 1762, he tied with ...

, architect *

Ferdinando Paer Ferdinando Paer (1 June 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër. Life He was bor ...

, composer *

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...

, composer and musician, buried in Parma *

Renzo Pezzani Renzo Pezzani (4 June 1898 – 14 July 1951) was an Italian poet and writer. Biography He was born in Parma on 4 June 1898. After graduating as a primary school teacher, he became a teacher in the early 1920s and began writing. He founded the ma ...

, poet * Alex Szilasi, pianist *

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

, conductor * Paul Yeboah (Bello FiGo), singer *

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

, opera composer *

Marcus Thuram Marcus Lilian Thuram-Ulien (; born 6 August 1997) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for Serie A club Inter Milan and the France national football team, France ...

, footballer *

Jerry Torre Jerry Torre (b. 1955) is an American sculptor. He is best known for his appearance in the 1975 independent documentary films ''Grey Gardens'' and '' The Beales of Grey Gardens'' by Albert and David Maysles. As a sculptor, his work has been shown ...

, footballer * Alvaro Valiente, footballer * Sergio Costa, businessman, founder of

Costa Coffee Costa Limited, trading as Costa Coffee, is a coffeehouse chain with headquarters in Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, England, that operates in the United Kingdom and 37 other countries. Costa Coffee was founded in London in 1971 by Sergio Costa (co ...

Sport

Parma Calcio 1913 Parma Calcio 1913 () is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, which competes in the Serie A, the top tier of Italian football league system, Italian league sy ...

, founded in 2015, is a

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

(first division)

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club. It replaced

Parma F.C. Parma Calcio 1913 () is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, which competes in the Serie A, the top tier of Italian league system, following promotion from Serie B in the 2023–24 season. ''Parma Football Cl ...

, which went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...

in 2015. It plays in the city's

Stadio Ennio Tardini Stadio Ennio Tardini, commonly referred to as just Il Tardini, is a association football, football stadium in Parma, Italy, located near the centre of Parma, between the town centre and the city walls. It is the home of Parma Calcio 1913. The s ...

, which opened in 1923 and seats up to 23,000. Parma's other sport team is the

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club

Zebre Zebre Parma (, meaning " Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by t ...

which competes in

Pro14 The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

, one of the top rugby competitions in the world. Parma also is home to two

teams in the top national division, Overmach Rugby Parma and SKG Gran Rugby.

Parma Panthers The Parma Panthers are an American football team based in Parma, Italy that competes in the Italian Football League. The team was founded in 1981 by Vic Dasaro, an American veterinary student attending university in Parma. Dasaro created the te ...

is the Parma

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

team which provided the basis for

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955) is an American novelist, lawyer, and former politician, known for his best-selling legal thrillers. According to the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 37 ...

's book '' Playing for Pizza''.

Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, previously known as Stadio XXV Aprile, is a sports stadium dedicated to rugby union, located in the city of Parma in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It replaced the original Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi which ...

is the ground of rugby and American football teams.

Pallavolo Parma The Pallavolo Parma was one of the oldest and most successful professional man's volleyball clubs in Italy. Its colours were white and azure. Founded in Parma in the 1940s, after a sequence of incorporations with other teams, it is currently di ...

and

Parma Baseball 1949 Parma Baseball is a professional baseball team that plays in the Italian Baseball League, Serie A. Founded in 1949, the team is based in the city of Parma in Italy and plays its home games at the Nino Cavalli Stadium, Stadio Nino Cavalli. It ...

are other sports teams in the city.

Nino Cavalli Stadium Nino Cavalli Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Parma, Emilia Romagna, Italy. It is the home stadium of Parma Baseball of the Italian Baseball League. History The baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports ve ...

is a

baseball stadium A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part ba ...

located in Parma. It is the home stadium of Parma Baseball of the

Italian Baseball League The Italian Baseball League (IBL, ), officially known as the Serie A (), is the top-level baseball league in Italy. Founded in 1948, it is governed by the Italian Baseball & Softball Federation (FIBS), which has its headquarters in Rome. Many o ...

Economy and infrastructure

Parma has a thriving economy, and the food sector is very developed. Some of the players in this sector include

, which is based in the city.

Chiesi Farmaceutici Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. is an Italian family controlled global pharmaceutical company based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna. Chiesi has 31 affiliates in the world, nearly 6,500 total employees and provides medicines to patients in 100 nations. Chiesi ...

, in the pharma industry, is headquartered in Parma. The

European Food Safety Authority The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002 ...

is also based in Parma.

Transport

Parma railway station Parma () is a railway station serving the city of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. The station opened in 1859 and is located on the Milan–Bologna railway, Pontremolese railway (to La Spezia), Brescia–Parma railway an ...

is on the Milan–Bologna railway system. The Parma trolleybus system has been in operation since 1953. It replaced an earlier

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

way network, and presently comprises four

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...

routes. Aeroporto Internazionale di Parma, Parma's airport, offers commercial flights to cities in a number of European countries.

Twin towns – sister cities

Parma is twinned with: *

Bourg-en-Bresse Bourg-en-Bresse (; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Located northeast of Lyon, it is the capital of the ancient Provinces of France, province of Bresse (). I ...

, France *

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

, Slovenia *

Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang; Mandarin: ; formerly known as Shimen and romanized as Shihkiachwang is the capital and most populous city of China's Hebei Province. A prefecture-level city southwest of Beijing, it administers eight districts, three county-le ...

, China *

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

, Hungary *

Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

, France *

Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

, Germany * Stockton, United States

References

Bibliography

External links

Live-streaming webcam on Garibaldi Square

Parma's view from satellite (Google Earth)

Video Introduction to Parma and the Parmigiano Reggiano

Video Brief History of ParmaThe European Food Safety Authority Website

Photo Gallery by Leonardo Bellotti

Parma on The Campanile Project
* {{Authority control Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna

History

Prehistory

Antiquity

Middle Ages

Modern era

Contemporary age

Geography

Climate

Main sights

Religious buildings

Secular buildings

Other sites of interest

Demographics

Culture

Food and cuisine

''Frazioni''

Notable people

Painters and sculptors

Others

Sport

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

References

Bibliography

External links