About Parma, Italy:
Northern Italy, in the region of Emilia-Romagna, about 120 km southeast of Milan and 100 km northwest of Bologna.
Population: ~200,000 (city proper); metropolitan area ~450,000.
Famous for:Food: The undisputed world capital of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). Both have Protected Designation of Origin status and can only be produced in the Parma area.
Music: Birthplace of opera conductor Arturo Toscanini and home to the Teatro Regio, one of Italy’s most prestigious opera houses.
Art & History: Stunning Romanesque cathedral (12th century) with Correggio’s breathtaking frescoes in the dome, the Baptistery by Benedetto Antelami, and the Palazzo della Pilotta complex (with the National Gallery, Farnese Theatre, and library).
Verdi: Giuseppe Verdi was born in nearby Roncole Verdi; the city hosts the annual Festival Verdi (Verdi Festival).
Home to Barilla (pasta) and Parmalat (dairy) headquarters.
Catholic places of interest in Parma, Italy:
Parma Cathedral
Traveling to Parma, Italy:
Parma is is about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of Milan, the nearest major airport hub.
Nestled in the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano protected area established in 1990 to preserve tfeels miles—and perhaps even centuries—away. However, nearly 1,000 years ago, this peaceful hamlet was quietly humming withe heritage of the Po Valley, the historic Chiaravalle Abbey h innovations that would produce one of the most versatile, tasty, and nutritious cheeses in the world.
During the 12th century, industrious Benedictine monks transformed a once marshy land into a working dairy farm, where grazing cows began producing a surplus of milk. To use the extra milk, they began making a savory, hard cheese, which could withstand the test of time. While the monks named it caesus vetus in Latin, the language of the church and universities of the Middle Ages, locals started referring to it as “Grana,” or grainy for its texture, and “Padano,” for the region.
Modena: Located about 55 km (34 miles) southeast of Parma, it is a nearby city known for its historic center and food.
Reggio Emilia: Situated between Parma and Modena, this city is also very close by.
Bologna: As the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region and a major transport hub, Bologna is approximately 100 km (62 miles) away. A train journey takes about an hour and a half.
Milan: To the northwest, Milan is a major international hub about from Parma. Direct trains from Parma to Milano Centrale take approximately 5