What to See in Parma, from the Cathedral to Museums and Theaters

What to see in Parma, a city with just under 200,000 inhabitants. The city of Parma ranks among the “livable” cities thanks also to excellent cuisine, artistic beauties, and musical tradition. It is the second most populous city in Emilia Romagna after Bologna.

The city’s history has left very evident traces thanks to numerous artistic monuments left by great artists like Parmigianino and Correggio. It was the capital of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (1545-1859). In December 2015, it received the recognition of “UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy”. Parma is rich in museums and in 2020 it was the “Italian Capital of Culture.”

Parma City Points of Interest

Let’s take a tour of the city to explore Parma in one day by following the points in this guide, or use the various points of interest to get to know the things to see in Parma, monuments, and points of interest in the Emilia city.

1 The Cathedral, Baptistery, and Cathedral Square

The Parma Cathedral is Romanesque-Lombard style and represents the most popular place of worship in the city. It was built around the year 1000 and next to it stands a bell tower from the late 1200s. Parma Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and features frescoes by Correggio, including the famous “Assumption of the Virgin“. The nave presents works by Correggio’s pupils.

Next to the Cathedral is the Baptistery, built on an octagonal plan. The Baptistery is certainly one of the must-see places in Parma and consists of a series of overlapping loggias and features Byzantine-style frescoes in various points, including the lunettes and dome. A double immersion basin and a fountain are located in the center. The Baptistery also displays reliefs representing the months of the year.

The Cathedral Square dates back to the medieval period. Here, in addition to the Cathedral and Baptistery, stands the Episcopal Palace. It is among the top attractions to see in Parma.

Things to See in Parma

2 Church of Madonna della Steccata

On Via Dante is the Church of Madonna della Steccata, which contains frescoes by Parmigianino, a pupil of Correggio. The church is Renaissance and takes its name from the fence (steccato) that was erected to protect an image of the Madonna, highly venerated by the faithful. The church has a Greek cross plan (the nave and transept have the same length and intersect at their midpoint) and features 16th-century frescoes from the Parmesan school. The sacristy, dating back to the 17th century, is the access point to the chapel where the dukes of Parma are buried.

3 Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

The Church of San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma is located to the right of the Cathedral. The church we see today was rebuilt during the Renaissance. The facade is later and dates to the 17th century. The Church of San Giovanni contains important frescoes by Correggio such as the Transit of St. John on the dome. Parmigianino, a pupil of Correggio, painted various frescoes of Saints on the arches of some left-side domes. The Church of San Giovanni undoubtedly represents a tourist place of interest in Parma to visit.

Parma Must-See Places

4 Pharmacy of San Giovanni Evangelista

Visiting the Pharmacy of San Giovanni in Parma is a must. It is an ancient pharmacy run by Benedictine monks open from 1201 until 1766. Inside the Pharmacy of San Giovanni in Parma, 16th-century furniture containing utensils, jars, and vessels of the pharmacy are still intact. Entrance is at Via Borgo Pipa, 1 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.

5 Correggio’s Room or San Paolo’s Room

The Correggio’s Room in Parma is also called the San Paolo Room. Commissioned by Abbess Giovanna da Piacenza of the Benedictine San Paolo nuns, the current Correggio’s Room was her private apartment. Largely frescoed by Correggio in the early 1500s, it houses true masterpieces by the painter. The current museum path reconstructs the private rooms of the abbess Giovanna da Piacenza within the ancient Benedictine female monastery of San Paolo, one of the city’s most important cultural centers in the early 16th century. After passing through some spaces, you reach an almost perfectly square room whose ceiling was frescoed in 1514 by the Parmesan painter Alessandro Araldi with rich grotesque and candelabrum ornamentation, integrating sacred scenes and profane images. Updated in a fully Renaissance style is the room frescoed by Antonio Allegri known as il Correggio in 1519, decorated with illusionistic vegetal branches opening onto faux ovals with cherubs, completed by monochrome faux niches with mythological subjects below. On the fireplace is depicted Diana, a clear reference to Abbess Giovanna da Piacenza, the commissioner, whose heraldic emblem is at the ceiling’s center. Hours: Tuesday to Friday 8:30 am to 2:00 pm; Saturday 8:30 am to 6:00 pm; first Sunday of the month 8:30 am to 2:00 pm; closed other Sundays. Ticket price: €2.00.

Tourism in Parma: What to See

6 Cell of Saint Catherine

The Cell of Saint Catherine in Parma is a small room at the edge of the garden of the former convent of the Benedictine nuns of San Paolo. On the two walls, Alessandro Araldi (circa 1460 – 1528), one of the most active masters in Parma between the 15th and 16th centuries, before the rise of the great Correggio, frescoed around 1514 two scenes from the Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria: “The Dispute of Catherine before Emperor Maximinus” and “Saint Catherine and Saint Jerome.” Araldi’s style here particularly reveals knowledge of central Italian models, especially works by Perugino and Pinturicchio, evoked by the classical composure of figures and the elegant restraint atmosphere characterizing both frescoes. Open on request during visiting hours of the San Paolo Room.
Free visit to the San Paolo Garden.

7 Giuseppe Stuard Art Gallery

The Giuseppe Stuard Art Gallery houses over 270 private works. Named after the collector and member of the San Filippo Neri congregation, it includes paintings, relics, tapestries, and items documenting the history of Parma and the Stuard family, as well as medieval archaeological finds discovered during building restorations. The collection comprises more than 300 paintings and graphic works, numerous furniture pieces from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and some art and craft objects. Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

8 Piazza Garibaldi, Parma

Piazza Garibaldi in Parma is one of the city’s best-known squares. Over centuries, it has undergone numerous transformations and today features a neoclassical layout. The square houses the Governor’s Palace, dating to the 13th century and renovated in the 1700s. On the opposite side stand the Town Hall (17th century) and the Captain of the People’s Palace from the 13th century. The square prominently features the statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of Parma’s major open-air monuments.

Visiting Parma

9 Pilotta Palace

The Pilotta Palace was built for the Farnese family in the 1500s and later rebuilt following the bombings of World War II. The name Pilotta derives from the “Basque pelota” game played at the time of construction. Inside are the Farnese Theater, the National Archaeological Museum, the National Gallery, and the Palatina Library. For some years now, it has been possible to visit the entire Pilotta Complex with a single ticket.

10 National Archaeological Museum Parma

The National Archaeological Museum of Parma dates back to 1760. Founded by Philip I of Bourbon, it was created to gather Roman finds discovered nearby. On the ground floor are artifacts from the Etruscan necropolis Velleia and the surrounding prehistoric sites. The lower floor houses finds dating to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The museum is open every day except Monday. You can purchase a single combined ticket for all the Museums of the Pilotta Monumental Complex, allowing a visit to the Farnese Theater, National Gallery, and Archaeological Museum with one ticket. The unified ticket office for all the Pilotta museums is located at the ticket office of the National Gallery.

What to Visit in Parma

11 National Gallery Parma

The National Gallery of Parma houses works by Beato Angelico, Parmigianino, Correggio, El Greco, and Bronzino. Access to the Gallery is through the Farnese Theater. It is a true treasure chest containing artworks from diverse areas. Noteworthy is the 17th-century section dedicated to Emilian painting. Visiting the National Gallery of Parma follows two distinct itineraries starting from the Farnese Theater, including works by Benedetto Antelami, Agnolo Gaddi, Beato Angelico, Cima da Conegliano, Francesco Francia, Leonardo, Correggio, Parmigianino, Dosso Dossi, Holbein, El Greco, Annibale, Ludovico and Agostino Carracci, Schedoni, Guercino, Nuvolone, G.M. Crespi, Tiepolo, Piazzetta, Pittoni, Canaletto, Bellotto, and Sebastiano Ricci. The National Gallery of Parma continues into 19th-century salons showcasing works from the Academy and portraits from the Bourbon era and Maria Luigia, and concludes in the old Rocchetta rooms hosting works from the 16th-century Parma School, especially by Correggio and Parmigianino, protagonists of the Renaissance season in Parma.

Parma Cultural Monuments

12 Farnese Theater

The Farnese Theater, located on the first floor of the Pilotta Palace, was built in the ancient “Armory Hall” of the court between 1617 and 1618, designed by Ferrara architect Giovan Battista Aleotti, known as l’Argenta. Made with typical ephemeral materials like wood and stucco painted to imitate marble and precious metals, the theater was commissioned by the Duke of Parma and Piacenza Ranuccio I Farnese (1593-1622), intending to celebrate the visit to Parma of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de’ Medici, en route to Milan to finalize a marriage agreement between the two families. With Cosimo’s trip canceled, the inauguration took place only in 1628 for the wedding between Margherita de’ Medici and Duke Odoardo, featuring the opera-tournament “Mercury and Mars” (text by Claudio Achillini and music by Claudio Monteverdi) culminating in a spectacular naumachia. Due to the complexity and high costs of set designs, the theater was used only nine times for ducal weddings or important state visits. Almost completely destroyed by an Allied air raid in May 1944, the theater was rebuilt from 1956 based on the original design and since 1986 has served as the theatrical entrance to the museum exhibition spaces.

13 Regio Theater

The Regio Theater of Parma was commissioned by Maria Luigia of Austria and built between 1821 and 1829. The New Theater was later named Regio and remains a significant example of the many grand public works by the Duchess in Parma.

14 Parma Mineralogy Museum

The mineralogical and petrographic collection of the University includes about 5,000 samples, of which a thousand are on display, mostly from the Linati, Piroli, Cavezzali, and Guidotti collections donated in the early 19th century. The minerals from these four collections are listed in a handwritten catalog compiled by Professor Girolamo Cocconi in 1866-67. Others donated by the Savings Bank of Parma and Piacenza and recent acquisitions have been added. Numerous samples of great historical, scientific, and systematic interest from locations worldwide can be observed. Noteworthy pieces exhibited in the large entrance of the Department of Earth Sciences include barite collections from Vernasca in the province of Piacenza, ilvaite samples from Elba Island, quartz from the Western Alps, and sulfides from Romania. Viale G.P. Usberti, 157/a (c/o Department of Earth Sciences). Tel. 0521 905326.

What to Do in Parma

15 Where to Eat in Parma

In the heart of Emilia is an excellent cuisine featuring equally delicious ingredients. We are in the land of Parmigiano Reggiano but also Parma Ham, staples used by local, national, and international dining. Therefore, typical trattorias, osterias, and Michelin-starred restaurants are all worth considering, depending on your budget. An excellent dinner with traditional products is a must in your Parma itinerary.

16 Where to Stay in Parma

Hotels in Parma vary in price depending on type and category, ranging from budget B&Bs to luxurious 5-star hotels. Again, it depends on your budget. If you plan to visit Parma and the surroundings and stay overnight outside the city center, you are more likely to find affordable accommodations.