Northern Italy Day 6: Parma

I picked Parma because we had already, in previous trips, been to Bologna, Pisa, Venice, etc. It looked like the two major cities left were Parma and Turin -- which the internet says is more of an industrial city. So basically on a whim, I added two nights/one day in Parma to our itinerary!

Parma itself is pretty small, so we also booked two separate experiences (through Trip Advisor).

First up, leaving at 830am, was a small-group tour of a Parmesan cheese (Parmeggiano Reggiano DOP) production facility and a Parma ham (a specific type of prosciutto) facility, with tastings at both. The tour was run by ParmaLook and it was great! We learned a lot about how parmesan cheese is made, what the DOP designation means (including: the cows have to come from the local area and can only eat food from the local area), saw cheeses at various stages of aging, and tasted several different ones along with some wine. 

The tour then continued at a prosciutto facility, which was equally fascinating. Apparently they mix in leftover cheese curd from the parmesan production process with the pigs' food. Parma ham is less fatty than other types of prosciutto... and also substantially more expensive!

The tour company dropped us back at our hotel around 1pm, so we spent the next few hours exploring Parma, based on a suggested itinerary from the Parma tourism office:

1. Start from Piazza Duomo and the Parma Cathedral (free), a splendid example of Romanesque architecture, embellished by the Correggio dome, and the Baptistery (€€), where you can admire the Antelami sculptures.
    
2. Behind the Cathedral is the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, which has a dome frescoed by Correggio, and the Monastery of San Giovanni (cloisters and a 16th century monumental library of San Giovanni). Unfortunately, both were closed, and note that the monastery is only open for a free (donation requested) 1-hour guided. tour on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10am and Saturday and the first Sunday of the month at 945am, 1030am, and 1115am (closed Thursday and every other Sunday), so if you want to see it, make sure to plan in advance!
    
3. We then went to the small museum of the Camera di San Paolo (€) in Via Melloni, a series of rooms in the ancient convent of San Paolo, impressively frescoed by Correggio for the Abbess Giovanna Piacenza and by Araldi.
    
4. Turning left on Via Garibaldi, you will come across the Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata, with the beautiful frescoes by Parmigianino (the tourism office suggested also a visit to the Noble Sacristy and the Tombs of the Dukes of Parma, which we did not do).
    
5. Leaving the Church of the Steccata, turning left along Via Mameli, a street that connects Piazza della Steccata to Via Cavour, a pedestrian street also known as the “promenade” of Parma and from here you arrive in Piazza Garibaldi... where we took a break and had a drink. 

We then headed to the pick-up spot for a pasta cooking class we had signed up for, which ended up being rather far outside of the city, especially in the surprising amount of traffic. We had a good dinner, though, and learned at least something about how to make pasta!