L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 11 Parma: art , music and gastronomy in the imperial city CHIARA ASSI Cobblestone streets, beauti- f u l i m p e r i a l b u i l d i n g s a n d a f r i e n d l y , w e l c o m i n g a t m o s - phere: Parma is an elegant and refined city, rich of art, parks and museums, but at the same time it has a simple, down-to- earth charm that makes visitors i m m e d i a t e l y f e e l a t h o m e . Located in Emilia Romagna, halfway between Bologna and Milano, it is a stone's throw away from many popular desti- nations and should definitely be included in travel itineraries of those who plan to visit nearby c i t i e s i n N o r t h e r n I t a l y . S u r r o u n d e d b y a v a r i e d a n d beautiful landscape that stretch- e s f r o m t h e P o r i v e r t o t h e Appenines' crest, the country- s i d e a r o u n d P a r m a i s d o t t e d with small villages rich of histo- r y , c a s t l e s , a n d m e d i e v a l churches. Lively and quaint, the city of Parma is extremely rich in his- t o r y , a r t a n d c u l t u r e . Throughout the centuries the town has been shaped, forged and painted by great masters and architects such as Benedetto Antelami and Antonio Allegri, b e t t e r k n o w n a s C o r r e g g i o . T h e s e a m a z i n g a r t i s t s a r e responsible for some impressive religious buildings which have become Parma's most recogniz- a b l e t r a d e m a r k s : A n t e l a m i ' s p i n k m a r b l e B a p t i s t e r y a n d Correggio's illusionistic fres- coes, decorating the Cathedral, the Chamber of Saint Paul and Saint John Evangelist, along w i t h P a r m i g i a n i n o ' s m a s t e r - pieces in the Church of St Mary of Steccata are all well worth a visit. Other masterpieces by Parmigianino and Correggio are a l s o h o s t e d i n t h e N a t i o n a l Gallery in the Pilotta palace, also displaying paintings by Canova, Tiepolo and Leonardo da Vinci. (http://www.parmabe- niartistici.beniculturali.it/galle- ria-nazionale-di-parma/en/) T h e h i s t o r i c a l c e n t e r o f P a r m a , a l o n g s i d e h i s t o r i c a l buildings from centuries past, features also outstanding mod- ern architecture designed by w o r l d w i d e f a m o u s R e n z o Piano: the Barilla factory and the Auditorium Paganini, a for- mer sugar factory converted into a concert hall, are two great e x a m p l e s o f h i s i n c r e d i b l e work. A very musical town, Parma offers an incredibly varied and interesting calendar of events in venues such as the brand new House of Music, the Birthplace a n d M u s e u m o f A r t u r o T o s c a n i n i a n d t h e R e g i o T h e a t r e , o p e n e d i n 1 8 2 9 b y Marie Louise of Austria, who used to be Duchess of Parma and is linked to one of the city's most prosperous eras. Yet Parma is not only the city itself: its surroundings are scattered with imposing castles built by local noble families between the 14th and the 15th c e n t u r i e s : s o m e o f t h e m o s t famous are the Bardi Castle, Castle of Torrechiara, Rocca Sanvitale di Fontanellato and Reggia di Colorno. All of them are easily reachable from Parma and can be visited by both indi- viduals and groups. For more info check out http://turismo. comune.parma.it/en P a r m a , a n d t h e a r e a s u r - rounding it, are renowned for their rich gastronomy and for f a m o u s i n g r e d i e n t s s u c h a s Parmigiano Reggiano, culatello di Zibello, salame Felino and prosciutto di Parma. To savor the area's notorious cured meats stop by the Culatelleria, right outside town and get ready to enjoy a meal of salame, pro- sciutto, focaccia and good local w i n e . F o r m o r e i n f o : http://www.culatelleria.it/. For a slightly more refined experience stop by the Ristorante Angiol d'Or (http://www.angioldor.it/) right behind the Duomo in the heart of Parma: the tortelli d'er- bette -ravioli stuffed with baby spinach and dressed with heaps o f m e l t e d b u t t e r a n d g r a t e d Parmesan- are exceptional, as are the rigatoni with crunchy prosciutto and pine nuts. For a s w e e t t r e a t d o n ' t m i s s Pasticceria Battistini, considered Parma's best by both locals and visitors: indulge in a slice of cake or try a few flavors of mac- arons - there's plenty to choose from. Situated along the A1 Milan- Bologna higway and along the A15 Parma-La Spezia, Parma has two exits: "Parma Ovest" and "Parma". Once you get out of the highway, you can park your car in the exchange park- ing North and reach the city centre by bus, as the downtown area is mostly pedestrian only it is better to leave the car in the outskirts and explore the center by foot. The closest airports are Aeroporto Giuseppe Verdi, only 5 km away from the city, and t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t o f Bologna, about one hour away. The Parma railway station links t h e c i t y c e n t e r t o t h e m a i n Italian towns, such as Milano, Venice, Rome and Bologna, and to the most important European cities. Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, one of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century Festival of "Prosciutto di Parma" Rocca San Vitale di Fontanellato

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