By Theodora Filis
The name conjures up many different things, all pleasurable, and brings back 3 of the most amazing months of my life. Parma is unlike any city I have lived in.
Parma is home to artists like Corregio and Parmigianino, musicians Giuseppe Verdi and Toscanini, and rich with castles, cathedrals and fortresses.
Its history goes as far back as Etruscan times, and it probably began its existence as an Etruscan encampment. Parma gained importance and wealth through the Middle Ages, coming under the rule of the Viscontis, the Sforzas, the French and the Popes till it was made a duchy in 1545 and came under the jurisdiction of Pier Luigi Farnese, illegitimate son of Pope Paul III. The Farnese family kept control of Parma till the last scion of the dynasty died in 1731.
A favorite of mine is The Piazza Garibaldi. It lies at the heart of Parma. A statue of Garibaldi, the Governor’s Palace and the Town Hall, both dating back to 1673, are located in this square. Many fond memories were made at this piazza.
Violetta di Parma, the perfume that owes its existence to Maria Lugia, duchess of Parma. Napoleon’s wife loved this flower and used the colour as a signature tint – even the livery of her pages were of this shade. She encouraged the Benedictine monks at the Monastery of Annunciata to distil the essence of the flower, and at last, their long and patient efforts bore fruit. The first bottles of this perfume were produced exclusively for the use of Maria Lugia, and the technique was a closely-guarded secret, but by 1870, the scent of violets spread beyond the boundaries of Parma.
The name conjures up many different things, all pleasurable, and brings back 3 of the most amazing months of my life. Parma is unlike any city I have lived in. Parma is home to artists like Corregio and Parmigianino, musicians Giuseppe Verdi and Toscanini, and rich with castles, cathedrals and fortresses.
Its history goes as far back as Etruscan times, and it probably began its existence as an Etruscan encampment. Parma gained importance and wealth through the Middle Ages, coming under the rule of the Viscontis, the Sforzas, the French and the Popes till it was made a duchy in 1545 and came under the jurisdiction of Pier Luigi Farnese, illegitimate son of Pope Paul III. The Farnese family kept control of Parma till the last scion of the dynasty died in 1731.
Parma is feast of art, architecture, culture, haute couture, gastronomy. Easily accessible from Milano and Bologna, surrounded by verdant green hills, themselves dotted with castles, and the river Parma runs across the city.
A favorite of mine is The Piazza Garibaldi. It lies at the heart of Parma. A statue of Garibaldi, the Governor’s Palace and the Town Hall, both dating back to 1673, are located in this square. Many fond memories were made at this piazza.
The church of San Giovanni Evangelista, and the Stoica Speziera di San Giovanni Evangelista, a pharmacy founded in 1201, are well worth a visit. The pharmacy was working till 1766, after which it was restored and reopened in 1959. It is fascinating to see the ceramic jars and huge mortars, dating back to the 17th and even to the 15th centuries, stocked here. Apart from the tools of the pharmaceutical trade, the building also has beautiful frescoes and antique furniture.
Parma is also known as the food capital of Italy, having given to the world two sublime items of cuisine – Parmesan Cheese and Prosciutto Ham. Made from the milk of cows fed on the green grass of the Po valley, Parmigiano-Reggiano is produced today just as it was seven centuries ago.
Porsciutto di Parma strictly regulated, and starts with breeding and feeding, going on to salt rugs and rinsing and culminating in long hanging and curing in progressively warmer rooms. The process takes between 10 months and a year, at the end of which, only if all the criteria are satisfied is the five-point ducal crown stamped on the silky, pale pink hams with their distinctive flavour, to distinguish them from other, lesser varieties.
Once every two years, Parma hosts Italy’s most important food industry trade fair, CIBUS, and visitors crowd the city for a week to experience pleasures of the palate.
Barilla, which exports spaghetti, pasta, biscuits and bread to countries across the globe, and Parmalat, specialists in milk and dairy products, contribute to Parma’s reputation as the food capital of Italy.
Violetta di Parma, the perfume that owes its existence to Maria Lugia, duchess of Parma. Napoleon’s wife loved this flower and used the colour as a signature tint – even the livery of her pages were of this shade. She encouraged the Benedictine monks at the Monastery of Annunciata to distil the essence of the flower, and at last, their long and patient efforts bore fruit. The first bottles of this perfume were produced exclusively for the use of Maria Lugia, and the technique was a closely-guarded secret, but by 1870, the scent of violets spread beyond the boundaries of Parma.
I can't wait to return to this beautiful and captivating city... but will a short visit be enough?
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