Parma: frescoes, opera and parmesan

A city that lends its name to two of the world's most celebrated gastronomic products, Parma also houses one of the Renaissance's painterly masterpieces in its cathedral's dome.

The center, gathered around Piazza Duomo, is comfortably explored on foot in a day.

In the dome of Parma Cathedral, the Assumption of the Virgin painted by Correggio in the 1520s is considered an absolute masterpiece of illusionistic perspective.

Just steps away, the Baptistry, octagonal and faced with pink marble from Verona, marks the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles in Italian architecture.

Continuing on, you reach the Pilotta Complex, which houses both the National Gallery and the Farnese Theatre under one roof, constructed entirely of wood in the seventeenth century.

Toward evening, the Royal Theatre, opened in 1829, remains one of Italy's most demanding opera stages, in the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi.

The Farnese Theatre, built entirely of wood to host festivals and tournaments, was severely damaged by World War II bombing and reconstructed after the war following the original designs.

The audience of the Teatro Regio is renowned for being extremely critical of opera singers: it is not unusual for a performance deemed inadequate to be met with loud boos right here in Parma.