Everyone knows a bit about Italy’s breadbasket, the Emilia-Romagna region, even if they don’t realize it. It’s the home of several of Italy’s most important foodstuffs: balsamic vinegar of Modena, stuffed pastas like tortellini, Lambrusco wine, and perhaps its most famous: prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. These last two are from the Parma province particularly – an area rich in history and culture as well as food. Here are just a few of our favorite spots.
Parma itself is a big city by our standards, but we still enjoy a visit there. The Duomo (cathedral) is tremendous; the 12th-century Baptistery is one of Italy’s most important architectural wonders; and the city’s Galleria Nazionale is a sprawling trove of fascinating history. Likewise, eating in Parma is filling: countless eateries offer enough traditional, local dishes to feed an army of visitors, but if you’ve had too much wine and tortelli, there are alternatives. You can always grab some local artisanal beers and some sandwiches made with fresh-baked breads, for instance. Cocktail bars, too, offer big-city beverage alternatives for afternoon aperitivo. For a sweet tooth, there are bakeries and gelato shops galore.
Despite the endless options, though, we usually prefer to get away from the larger towns and explore the more out-of-the-way places. In Parma’s countryside, castles and palaces invite visitors to step back centuries in time, and eateries offer some of the choicest foodstuffs directly from their source.
Heading west on little country roads, we find the Labirinto della Masone. These private estate grounds have been turned into an arts center with rotating exhibitions, but its main feature is a huge hedge maze, made entirely of multiple varieties of bamboo. Farther north, we can’t resist stopping in to pick up a few bottles at the Birrificio Farnese. The road brings us to the town of Fontanellato, at the center of which is the Rocca Sanvitale, one of only a few moated castles in Italy. A guided tour of the castle includes one of the first instances of home surveillance: one of the medieval castle’s towers has a camera oscura, a set of mirrors that create a projection of outside activity, allowing the occupants to spy on the main piazza.
Continuing west, the town of Soragna is home to the Caseificio Sociale di Soragna, a small Parmigiano-Reggiano farm. Visitors can tour the facility and then enjoy a delicious tasting of their cheese at various stages of aging. Farther on, another artisanal beer maker, Birrificio del Ducato, fills out our case of bottled brews.
We then come to the heart of the “Land of Verdi” and the town of Busseto, with many landmarks dedicated to this favorite son of Italy. Eating in Verdi’s favorite deli, around the corner from his own theatre, is a unique experience. (We wrote in detail about this town in a previous article). Finally, to the north on the banks of the Po River is the tiny village of Zibello, the home of culatello di Zibello, the finest version of the best cut of prosciutto. Heading back east, we see the massive Palazzo Ducale di Colorno from the highway, standing out amidst miles of farmlands. On display in the palace are centuries of medieval and Napoleonic art, architecture, and furnishings. The facility is also home to ALMA, an international school of Italian cuisine.
To the south along the Parma River, castles dot the countryside at nearly every high point or crossroads. Many are private or open only infrequently, but a few bear visiting. The medieval walled castle village of Torrechiara is dominated by a towering castle, open most days for visitors. Many of the interior walls here are decorated with frescoes called “grottesca,” paintings of fantastical human-animal hybrids and strange creatures. The castle towers offer commanding views of the valley in all directions. The next town to the south is Langhirano: everything you ever wanted to know about ham but were afraid to ask can be answered at the Museo del Prosciutto.
Continuing far into the mountains, in the southwest edge of the Parma province, we find the town of Bardi, dominated by a huge castle of the same name. The castle allows visitors remarkable access to its many spaces, including its towers and covered ramparts, and its dungeons and torture chambers complete with weapons and implements of “interrogation” on display. The town, though far from the city of Parma, still offers the same distinctive foods that are found virtually everywhere in this area.
So, the province of Parma isn’t just food; it’s castles, palaces, impossibly cute towns, and sweeping landscapes but… yes, you’ll also find a huge amount of really great food to enjoy to the point of bursting.
Buon viaggio e buon appetito!
About the authors: Zeneba & Matt moved from the U.S. to Italy in 2019, where they live and work as performing musicians. They are also authors of four award-winning travel guidebooks (including one for Emilia-Romagna) and a memoir about their move to Italy. As Little Roads Europe, they craft itineraries for travelers to visit small towns and enjoy authentic experiences in Italy and Ireland. www.littleroadseurope.com
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