Parma

Originally published on: Oct 22, 2007

Each of the towns I've visited in Italy (more than 16 so far in the past year!) is unique, with its own food specialties, traditions, customs, and "claims to fame."

Parma is the most prosperous city I've seen in Italy, and it seems oddly fitting that I stayed in the Ducal Palace while I was there. My friend Paolo is the new commander of the Carabinieri (military national police force) in the province of Parma, and their headquarters is located nel Palazzo Ducale, once the home of Napoleon's wife, Maria Luigia. As Paolo gave me a tour of the palace, with its vast marble hallways and frescoed walls, I found it a bit intimidating...me with my worn out sneakers and backpack on. Here's a satellite view of the Palazzo and the surrounding Parco Ducale from GoogleEarth (the palace is in the upper right hand corner):

Here's another view, from the ground:

Many of the rooms of the Palace have been turned into offices, while others lie vacant, especially the formal rooms with frescoed walls. Other rooms have been made into flats for 15 of the Carabinieri and their families. There are also 3 guest rooms, referred to as "La Foresteria,", where I stayed, which was actually a suite of rooms, quite elegant and comfortably furnished. 

As the palace is part of a military compound, everyone is under the scrutiny of a guard as you enter and leave. My "password": 'Sono l'amica americana del colonello.' (I'm an American friend of the colonel.) One gate gave me entry to the spacious Parco Ducale that surrounds the palace, which is open to the public and widely used. I spent many hours there, and had an interesting conversation (in Italian!) with a Yugoslavian woman who has lived in Parma for 4 years. Of all things, she wanted to tell me how 'Filippo McGraw' (the tv celebrity Dr. Phil in the U.S.) had changed her life with his books. Go figure....

In the central part of town, I visited a huge art gallery in the Palazzo Pilotta, which seemed to be easily 2-3 times the size of the Ducal Palace. La Galleria Nazionale is filled with paintings, sculptures and other art by numerous artists, including Coreggio, Parmagianino....there's even one piece by Leonardo da Vinci. Another part of the gallery was the Teatro Farnese, an impressive theater designed by Palladio in 1628 and built entirely of wood. The original was destroyed in WWII, but the replica is equally beautiful. There are many beautifully decorated churches in Parma, and an impressive Battistero, octagonal in shape, as many of them are.

There was a month-long Verdi festival going on in Parma while I was there, at Teatro Regio, one of the finest opera houses in Italy, but all the performances were sold out long before I arrived. Though Paolo was busy most of the weekend with the duties of his position as commander, I met with him and his family (wife Silvia and 2 daughters, 10 and 14), several times during my stay. They took me out for a typical Parmesan meal, which included "culotello" (the tenderest ham from the pig's bottom!), Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan cheese), apples with honey made by bees that frequent chestnut trees, and tortelli di zucca (pasta similar to ravioli that is filled with pumpkin). Later that night, I had my first "cioccolata calda" of the season. Hot chocolate in Italy is more of a dessert than a drink, consisting of warmed chocolate with a small amount of milk, served with biscotti (small cookies) to dip into the thick, pudding-like mixture. Here's a photo of Parma at night:

Another event that I attended with Paolo's family (who are rapidly becoming VIPs in their new home), was a performance by the world-famous 102-member Carabinieri band, La Banda Musicale Dell'Arma Dei Carabinieri, who traveled from Rome to be part of the Verdi Festival. It was an impressive performance, as they played selections from several Verdi operas, including 'Rigoletto' and 'Aida,' and concluded with Italy's national anthem. The musicians were quite accomplished and impressive in their dress uniforms. I'm not sure how they managed to play music designed for orchestras with string sections, but the results were moving and extraordinary.

There were several other enjoyable events in Parma.....an accomplished accordian player serenading people all afternoon on Saturday as they walked near the Duomo, and a large group of Italian men singing in the park. I can only give a few glimpses into the ambiance of Parma, but perhaps you get the idea. Though I don't have a new photo of Paolo and his family, here's a reprise from last year in Rome: