Teatro Due

Parma's historic center develops around what can be considered its religious centerpiece, costituted by the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Bishop's Palace.

The Cathedral on Piazza del Duomo is one of the most important expressions of the Po Valley Romanesque style, albeit having undergone various interventions in time. It boasts a bell tower dating back to the 13th Century, while tucked inside are famous masterpieces, including the dome, frescoed by Correggio.

The Baptistery is an octagonal structure utilizing blocks of pink marble. Together with the 11th-Century Bishop's Palace, it is a picture harking back to Medieval times. Frescoes attributed to Parmigianino in the chapels and the dome frescoed by Correggio are the distinguishing elements of the Church of Saint John the Evangelist. 

It is possible to admire other Parmigianino works in the Church of the Madonna della Steccata, as well as works by Correggio in the Chamber of Saint Paul in the Benedictines? Monastery.

Not far from the latter is the Palazzo della Pilotta. Commissioned by the Farnese family, this is an impressive complex hosting the Farnese Library and Theatre, the National Archaeological Museum, the Bodoni Museum and the National Gallery that exhibits works by Correggio, Parmigianino, Beato Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Tiepolo, and Canova. 

And not far away is the Teatro Regio (Royal Theatre), a temple of music and one of the most renowned theatres in Italy.

Crossing the G. Verdi Bridge over the Parma torrent, one arrives at the Ducal Palace, surrounded by a wide green knoll, a magnificent example of a princely park. The Palace still bears its 16th-Century central core, and contains frescoes of admirable beauty.

Outside the city, the entirety of Parma Province is scattered with a great number of castles and fortresses, from the slopes of the Apennines northward to the Po lowlands. They make for an itinerary through an enchanted world of lords and ladies of ancient manors considered to be some of the most beautiful and best-preserved in Italy.

A starting point could be the Bardi Fortress, standing out from the red, rocky Apennines in all its splendor; moving down toward the valley, one obligatory stop is the Castle of Compiano and its village; to then pass on to the Castle of Felino, and concluding with the Reggia (Royal Palace) of Colorno in the ?Bassa Parmense? (the Parma plains), residence of the Houses of Farnese, Bourbon and Marie Louise of Austria, Duchess of Parma. 

In this place, the visitor is captivated by the monumental beauty of the Reggia, as well as by the wonderful landscapes where the River Po meets the plain. 

Among all the towns of the plain spanning from Parma to Piacenza, Fontevivo is well-worth a visit, with its imposing Cistercian Abbey dating back to the 12th Century; as is Fontanellato, with its Sanvitale Fortress and a series of frescoes by Parmigianino; and Fidenza, with the invaluable Cathedral of San Donnino, one of the most important exemplars of Emilia's Romanesque art. Also obligatory is the 15th-Century Castle of Torrechiara.