View source for Parma

{{Short description|City in Emilia-Romagna, Italy}}
{{About|the Italian city|other uses|Parma (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox Italian comune
| name                = Parma
| official_name       = Comune di Parma
| native_name         = {{native name|egl|Pärma}}
| image_skyline       = {{multiple image
| perrow = 2/2/2/1
| border = infobox
| total_width = 275
| image1 = Parma - Italy - July 7th 2013 - 00.jpg
| image2 = Parma-pjt7.jpg
| image3 = Cathedral facade, Parma, Italy, 2019, 02.jpg
| image4 = Parma, Palazzo della Pilotta e monumento.jpg
| image5 = Palazzo del Giardino, Parma.jpg
| image6 = Parma - Italy - July 7th 2013 - 08.jpg
| image7 = Parma dal Duomo, settembre 2014-1 (15481932581).jpg
}}
| image_caption       = From top left: Monument to Victory, Palazzo del Governatore, Parma Cathedral, Palazzo della Pilotta with Monumento al Partigiano, Palazzo del Giardino in Parco Ducale, Baptistery of Parma, aerial view from the Baptistery
| image_flag          = Flag of Parma.svg
| image_shield        = Coat of arms of Parma.svg
| shield_alt          =
| image_map           =
| map_alt             =
| map_caption         =
| pushpin_map_alt     =
| pushpin_map         = Italy Emilia-Romagna#Italy#Europe
| coordinates         = {{coord|44|48|05.3|N|10|19|40.8|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| region              = [[Emilia-Romagna]]
| province            = [[Province of Parma|Parma]] (PR)
| frazioni            = See [[#Frazioni|list]]
| mayor_party         = 
| mayor               = [[Michele Guerra]]
| area_footnotes      =
| area_total_km2      = 260.60
| population_footnotes =<ref name="population">{{cite web|title=Resident population|url=https://demo.istat.it/app/?i=POS&l=en|publisher=[[Italian National Institute of Statistics|ISTAT]]}}</ref>
| population_total    = 202111
| population_as_of    = 2025
| population_demonym  = Parmesan, Parmigiano
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m         = 55
| twin1               =
| twin1_country       =
|istat=| saint        = [[Hilary of Poitiers|Sant'Ilario di Poitiers]], [[Saint Honoratus|Sant'Onorato]], [[Saint Roch|San Rocco]]
| day                 = January 13
| postal_code         = 43121-43126
| area_code           = 0521
| website             = {{official website|http://www.comune.parma.it}}
| footnotes           =
}}

'''Parma''' ({{IPA|it|ˈparma|lang|It-Parma.ogg}}; {{langx|egl|label=[[Parmigiano dialect|Parmigiano]]|Pärma}} {{IPA|egl|ˈpɛːʁmɐ|}}) is a city in the region of [[Emilia-Romagna]] in [[Northern Italy]], known for its [[architecture]], [[Giuseppe Verdi|music]], art, [[prosciutto]] (ham), [[Parmesan|cheese]] and surrounding countryside. With a population of 202,111 inhabitants as of 2025, Parma is the second most populous city in [[Emilia-Romagna]] after Bologna, the region's capital.<ref name="population" /> The city is home to the [[University of Parma]], one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the [[Parma (river)|stream of the same name]]. The district on the west side of the river is ''Oltretorrente'', meaning ''The other side of the stream''. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called ''[[Parma (shield)|Parma]]''.

==History==
{{For timeline}}

{{Quote box|width=17em|align=right|bgcolor=#B0C4DE
|title=Historical affiliations
|fontsize=80%|quote=
[[File:Consul et lictores.png|15px]] [[Roman Republic]] 183–27 BC <br>
[[File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg|15px]] [[Roman Empire]] 27 BC–285 AD <br>
[[File:Vexilloid of the Roman Empire.svg|15px]] [[Western Roman Empire]] 285–476 <br>
{{flagicon image|Odovacar Ravenna 477.jpg}} [[Odoacer|Kingdom of Odoacer]] 476–493 <br>
{{flagicon image|Teodorico re dei Goti (493-526).png}} [[Ostrogothic Kingdom]] 493–553 <br>
[[File:Simple Labarum.svg|12px]] [[Byzantine Empire|Eastern Roman Empire]] 553–568 <br>
[[File:Corona ferrea monza (heraldry).svg|15px]] [[Kingdom of the Lombards|Lombard Kingdom]] 568–773 <br>
[[File:Charlemagne autograph.svg|15px]] [[Carolingian Empire]] 773–781 <br>
[[File:Corona ferrea monza (heraldry).svg|15px]] [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Regnum Italiae]] 781–1014 <br>
[[File:Shield and Coat of Arms of the Holy Roman Emperor (c.1200-c.1300).svg|15px]] [[Holy Roman Empire]] 1014–1114 <br>
[[File:Coat of arms of Parma.svg|15px]] [[Medieval Commune|Free Commune]] 1114–1341 <br>
[[File:Flag of the Duchy of Milan.png|15px|border]] [[Duchy of Milan]] 1341–1513 <br>
[[File:Flag of the Papal States (pre 1808).svg|15px|border]] [[Papal States]] 1513–1554 <br>
[[File:Flag of the Duchy of Parma.svg|15px|border]] [[Duchy of Parma]] 1554–1808 <br>
[[File:Flag of France.svg|15px|border]] [[First French Empire]] 1808–1814 <br>
[[File:Bandiera del ducato di Parma, Piacenza e Guastalla.png|15px|border]] [[Duchy of Parma|Duchy of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastalla]] 1814–1848 <br>
[[File:Flag of the Duchy of Parma (1851-1859).svg|15px|border]] [[Duchy of Parma]] 1851–1859 <br>
[[File:Flag of Italy.svg|15px|border]] [[United Provinces of Central Italy]] 1859–1860 <br>
[[File:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg|15px|border]] [[Kingdom of Italy]] 1861–1946 <br>
[[File:Flag of Italy.svg|15px|border]] [[Italian Republic]] 1946–present
}}

===Prehistory===
Parma was already a built-up area in the [[Bronze Age]]. In the current position of the city rose a [[Terramare culture|terramare]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.emiliaromagnaturismo.it/it/archeologia/terramare.html| title = Archaeology in Emilia Romagna page.}}</ref> The "terramare" (marl earth) were ancient villages built of wood on piles according to a defined scheme and squared form; constructed on dry land and generally in proximity to the rivers. During this age (between 1500 BC and 800 BC) the first [[necropolis|necropoleis]] (on the sites of the present-day Piazza Duomo and Piazzale della Macina) were constructed.

===Antiquity===
The city was most probably founded and named by the [[Etruscans]], for a ''parma'' or ''palma'' (circular shield) was a [[Latin language|Latin]] borrowing, as were many Roman terms for particular arms, and the names ''Parmeal'', ''Parmni'' and ''Parmnial'' appear in Etruscan inscriptions. [[Diodorus Siculus]]<ref>XXII, 2,2; XXVIII, 2,1</ref> reported that the Romans had changed their rectangular shields for round ones, imitating the Etruscans. Whether the Etruscan encampment acquired its name from its round shape, like a shield, or from its metaphorical function as a shield against the Gauls to the north, remains uncertain.

The [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] colony was founded in 183 BC, together with Mutina ([[Modena]]); 2,000 families were settled. Parma had a certain importance as a road hub over the [[Via Aemilia]] and the Via Claudia. It had a forum, in what is today the central Garibaldi Square. In April 43 BC the city was destroyed.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gT4C6YTyUywC|title=The Letters of Cicero: B.C. 44-43|publisher=G. Bell and Sons|date=1900}}</ref> Subsequently [[Augustus]] rebuilt it. During the [[Roman Empire]], it gained the title of ''Julia'' for its loyalty to the imperial house.

[[Attila]] sacked the city in 452,<ref>
{{cite book
| last1 = Domenico
| first1 = Roy Palmer
| chapter = Parma
| title = The Regions of Italy: A Reference Guide to History and Culture
| year = 2002
| url =  https://books.google.com/books?id=wZ-PMNC5XOkC
| location = Westport, Connecticur
| publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group
| publication-date = 2002
| page = 93
| isbn = 9780313307331
| access-date = 2019-05-05
| quote = Atila the Hun put Parma to the torch in 452, as did Totila the Ostrogoth in the mid-500s. It was rebuilt a number of times as a Lombard capital, the site of a Byzantine treasury, and, from the ninth century, a bishopric.
}}
</ref> and the Germanic king [[Odoacer]] later gifted it to his followers. During the [[Gothic War (535–552)|Gothic War]], however, [[Totila]] destroyed it. It was then part of the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] [[Exarchate of Ravenna]] (changing its name to ''Chrysopolis'', "Golden City", probably due to the presence of the imperial treasury) and, from 569, of the [[Lombards|Lombard]] Kingdom of Italy. During the Middle Ages, Parma became an important stage of the [[Via Francigena]], the main road connecting Rome to Northern Europe; several castles, hospitals and inns were built in the following centuries to host the increasing number of pilgrims who passed by Parma and Fidenza, following the Apennines via Collecchio, Berceto and the Corchia ranges before descending the Passo della Cisa into Tuscany, heading finally south toward Rome.

The city had a medieval Jewish community.<ref>
[https://www.jpost.com/Travel/Jerusalem/Italys-poetic-Parma-region Italy's poetic Parma region] - "Italy has one of the oldest European Diaspora communities and a Jewish presence has been documented in Rome for more than 2,200 years. However, Jews only arrived in the Emilia-Romagna region during the 13th century."</ref> The [[Biblioteca Palatina, Parma|Palatine Library]] houses the largest collection of Hebrew manuscripts in Italy, and the second-largest in the world after the Bodleian Library in Oxford.<ref>
[https://jguideeurope.org/en/region/italy/emilia-romagna/parma/ Parma] - "The Palatine Library is as well home to the largest Italian collection of Hebrew manuscripts, and the second largest in the world after the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The documents were a gift of Maria Luigia Duchess."</ref>

===Middle Ages===
[[File:Battistero di Parma - Vista Ingresso.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Baptistery of Parma]], 1196–1270]]

Under [[Franks|Frankish]] rule, Parma became the capital of a county in 774. Like most northern Italian cities, it was nominally a part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] created by [[Charlemagne]], but locally ruled by its bishops, the first being Guibodus. In the subsequent struggles between the [[Papal States|Papacy]] and the Empire, Parma was usually a member of the Imperial party. Two of its bishops became [[antipope]]s: Càdalo, founder of the cathedral, as [[Antipope Honorius II|Honorius II]]; and Guibert, as [[Antipope Clement III|Clement III]]. An almost independent [[medieval commune|commune]] was created around 1140; a treaty between Parma and [[Piacenza]] of 1149 is the earliest document of a ''comune'' headed by [[consul]]s.<ref>G. Drei, ''Le Carte degli archivi parmensi del secolo XII'' (Parma, 1950) doc. no. 194; the genesis of the Parmesan commune is studied by R. Schumann, "Authority and the commune: Parma, 833–1033", (Parma: Deputazione di storia patria, series 2.2, VIII) 1973.</ref> After the [[Peace of Constance]] in 1183  confirmed the Italian communes' rights of self-governance, long-standing quarrels with the neighbouring communes of [[Reggio Emilia]], Piacenza and [[Cremona]] became harsher, with the aim of controlling the vital trading line over the [[Po River]].

The struggle between [[Guelphs and Ghibellines]] was a feature of Parma too. In 1213, her {{lang|it|[[podestà]]}} was the Guelph [[Rambertino Buvalelli]]. Then, after a long stance alongside the emperors, the Papist families of the city gained control in 1248. The city was besieged in 1247–48 by Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], who was however defeated in [[Battle of Parma|the battle]] that ensued but imperial forces revenged the loss soon afterwards and heavily defeated the Parmese. Frederick II recovered before his death in 1250, with Parma suing for peace.

By 1328, [[Rolando de' Rossi]] was made ''[[signore]]'' of Parma. In 1331, the city submitted to King [[John of Bohemia]]. Parma fell under the control of [[Milan]] in 1341. After a short-lived period of independence under the Terzi family (1404–1409), the [[Sforza]] imposed their rule (1440–1449) through their associated families of [[Pallavicini family|Pallavicino]], Rossi, Sanvitale and Da Correggio. These created a kind of new [[feudalism]], building towers and castles throughout the city and the land. These fiefs evolved into truly independent states: the Landi governed the higher [[Taro (river)|Taro]]'s valley from 1257 to 1682. The Pallavicino seignory extended over the eastern part of today's province, with the capital in [[Busseto]]. Parma's territories were an exception for Northern Italy, as its feudal subdivision frequently continued until more recent years. For example, Solignano was a Pallavicino family possession until 1805, and [[San Secondo Parmense|San Secondo]] belonged to the Rossi well into the 19th century.

===Modern era===
[[File:Parma nel XV secolo.jpg|thumb|Parma in the 15th century]]
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2018}}

Between the 14th and the 15th centuries, Parma was at the centre of the Italian Wars. The [[Battle of Fornovo]] was fought in its territory. The [[France|French]] held the city in 1500–1521, with a short Papal parenthesis in 1512–1515. After the foreigners were expelled, Parma belonged to the [[Papal States]] until 1545.

In that year the [[House of Farnese|Farnese]] pope, [[Pope Paul III|Paul III]], detached Parma and [[Piacenza]] from the Papal States and gave them as a duchy to his illegitimate son, [[Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma|Pier Luigi Farnese]], whose descendants ruled in Parma until 1731, when [[Antonio Farnese]], last male of the Farnese line, died. In 1594 a constitution was promulgated, the [[University of Parma|University]] enhanced and the Nobles' College founded. There was also an important Jesuit college in Parma: it was the largest owned by the order in the entire region of Emilia-Romagna and it acquired a strong reputation in the scientific field, given that Fathers [[Giuseppe Biancani]], [[Niccolò Cabeo]] and [[Mario Bettinus]], all members of the order, taught there.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gatto |first=Romano |title=The Oxford Handbook of the Jesuits |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780190639655 |editor=Ines G. Županov |location=Oxford |page=646 |contribution=Jesuit mathematics}}</ref> The war to reduce the barons' power continued for several years: in 1612 [[Barbara Sanseverino]] was executed in the central square of Parma, together with six other nobles charged of plotting against the duke. At the end of the 17th century, after the defeat of Pallavicini (1588) and Landi (1682) the Farnese duke could finally hold with firm hand all Parmense territories. The castle of the Sanseverino in [[Colorno]] was turned into a luxurious summer palace by [[Ferdinando Galli Bibiena|Ferdinando Bibiena]].

In the Treaty of London (1718) it was promulgated that the heir to the combined [[Duchy of Parma]] and [[Piacenza]] would be [[Elisabeth Farnese]]'s elder son with [[Philip V of Spain]], [[Charles III of Spain|Don Carlos]]. In 1731, the fifteen-year-old Don Carlos became Charles I Duke of Parma and Piacenza, at the death of his childless great uncle Antonio Farnese. In 1734, Charles I conquered the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, and was crowned as the King of Naples and Sicily on 3 July 1735, leaving the Duchy of Parma to his brother [[Philip, Duke of Parma|Philip (Filippo I di Borbone-Parma)]]. All the outstanding art collections of the duke's palaces of Parma, [[Colorno]] and [[Sala Baganza]] were moved to [[Naples]].
[[File:Parma, 16 century.jpg|alt=A drawing of Parma.|thumb|The city of Parma, divided by the river of the same name, with the imposing Romanesque Cathedral of the Ascension of the Virgin prominent on the right bank. 16th century.]]
Parma was under French influence after the [[Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748)|Peace of Aachen]] (1748). Parma became a modern state with the energetic action of prime minister [[Guillaume du Tillot]]. He created the bases for a modern industry and fought strenuously against the church's privileges. The city lived a period of particular splendour: the [[Biblioteca Palatina]] (Palatine Library), the Archaeological Museum, the Picture Gallery and the Botanical Garden were founded, together with the Royal Printing Works directed by [[Giambattista Bodoni]], aided by the [[Amoretti Brothers]] as skilled and inspired punchcutters.

===Contemporary age===
[[File:Parma 1832.jpg|thumb|Parma in 1832]]

During the [[Napoleonic Wars]] (1802–1814), Parma was annexed to [[France]] and made capital of the [[Taro (département)|Taro Department]]. Under its French name, Parme, it was also created a ''[[duché grand-fief de l'Empire]]'' for [[Charles-François Lebrun, duc de Plaisance]], the Emperor's Arch-Treasurer, on 24 April 1808 (extinguished in 1926).

After the restoration of the Duchy of Parma by the 1814–15 [[Vienna Congress]], the [[Risorgimento]]'s upheavals had no fertile ground in the tranquil duchy. In 1847, after [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma]]'s death, it passed again to the [[House of Bourbon]], the last of whom was stabbed in the city and left it to his widow, Luisa Maria of Berry. On 15 September 1859 the dynasty was declared deposed, and Parma entered the newly formed province of Emilia under [[Luigi Carlo Farini]]. With the [[plebiscite]] of 1860 the former duchy became part of the unified [[Kingdom of Italy]].

The loss of the capital role provoked an economic and social crisis in Parma. It started to recover its role of industrial prominence after the railway connection with [[Piacenza]] and [[Bologna]] of 1859, and with [[Fornovo di Taro|Fornovo]] and [[Suzzara]] in 1883. [[Trade union]]s were strong in the city, in which a notable General Strike was declared from 1 May to 6 June 1908. The struggle with [[Fascism]] had its most dramatic moment in August 1922, when the regime officer [[Italo Balbo]] attempted to enter the popular quarter of Oltretorrente. The citizens organized into the ''[[Arditi del Popolo]]'' ("The people's daring ones") and pushed back the [[squadristi]]. This episode is considered the first example of Resistance in Italy.

[[File:Parma, palazzo della pilotta 01.jpg|right|thumb|View of [[Palazzo della Pilotta]] in Piazza della Pace. The rebuilt part on the right is where once was the church of St. Peter.]]

During [[World War II]], Parma was a strong centre of [[Partisan (military)|partisan]] resistance. The train station and marshalling yards were targets for high altitude bombing by the Allies in the spring of 1944. Much of the [[Palazzo della Pilotta]], situated not far (half a mile) from the train station, was destroyed. Along with it the [[Teatro Farnese]] and part of the [[Biblioteca Palatina]] were destroyed by Allied bombs; some 21,000 volumes of the library's collection were lost. Several other monuments were also damaged: Palazzo del Giardino, Steccata and San Giovanni churches, Palazzo Ducale, Paganini theater and the monument to [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]. However, Parma did not see widespread destruction during the war. Parma was liberated from the German occupation (1943–1945) on 26 April 1945 by the partisan resistance and the [[Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB)|Brazilian Expeditionary Force]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pitoresco.com/historia/guerra/guerra01.htm |title=Mapa da рrea de operaушes |publisher=Pitoresco.com |access-date=2009-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410190514/http://www.pitoresco.com/historia/guerra/guerra01.htm |archive-date=10 April 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

While modern city politics has been dominated (as in much of Emilia-Romagna) by the left, in 1998 Parma elected centre-right candidate Elvio Ubaldi as mayor, again in 2002, and in 2007 elected the centre-right candidate Pietro Vignali. During their terms, Parma suffered from fiscal mismanagement, Vignali left office in 2011 with the city's debts amounting to over 600 million euros. In 2012, the city elected Federico Pizzarotti as mayor, making him the first mayor of a provincial capital to hail from [[Five Star Movement]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aloisi |first=Silvia |date=2012-05-27 |title=Parma mayor becomes Italy's most-watched politician |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/parma-mayor-becomes-italys-most-watched-politician-idUSBRE84Q01U/ |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kington |first=Tom |date=2012-05-21 |title=Parma elects anti-austerity 'comedy' candidate as mayor |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/21/parma-mayor-pizzarotti-beppe-grillo |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

== Geography ==

=== Climate ===
In Parma, the average annual high temperature is {{convert|17|°C|0}}, the annual low temperature is {{convert|9|°C|0}}, and the annual precipitation is {{convert|777|mm|2|abbr=off}}.

The following data comes from the weather station located at the university in the city center. It is affected by the [[urban heat island]] phenomenon. Parma has a [[mid-latitude]], four-season [[humid subtropical climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') with heavy [[humid continental climate|continental influences]] due to the city's inland position. Relatively nearby coastal areas like [[Genoa]] have far milder climates with cooler summers and milder winters, with the mountains separating Parma from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] acting as a barrier to the sea air. The city receives approximately 45&nbsp;cm of snow each winter.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y 
|collapsed = Y
|location =  Parma (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1878–present)
|Jan record high C = 24.6
|Feb record high C = 23.7
|Mar record high C = 28.6
|Apr record high C = 32.5
|May record high C = 35.7
|Jun record high C = 39.2
|Jul record high C = 40.2
|Aug record high C = 40.4
|Sep record high C = 36.1
|Oct record high C = 33.3
|Nov record high C = 22.0
|Dec record high C = 23.4
|Jan record low C = -18.0
|Feb record low C = -15.0
|Mar record low C = -7.5
|Apr record low C = -2.0
|May record low C = 1.0
|Jun record low C = 6.5
|Jul record low C = 11.0
|Aug record low C = 9.6
|Sep record low C = 6.3
|Oct record low C = -1.8
|Nov record low C = -9.1
|Dec record low C = -14.8
|Jan high C = 6.8
|Feb high C = 9.8
|Mar high C = 15.4
|Apr high C = 19.3
|May high C = 24.4
|Jun high C = 29.0
|Jul high C = 31.6
|Aug high C = 31.1
|Sep high C = 25.4
|Oct high C = 18.6
|Nov high C = 11.9
|Dec high C = 7.2
| year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 3.2
|Feb mean C = 5.1
|Mar mean C = 9.8
|Apr mean C = 13.9
|May mean C = 18.7
|Jun mean C = 23.0
|Jul mean C = 25.4
|Aug mean C = 25.1
|Sep mean C = 20.3
|Oct mean C = 14.4
|Nov mean C = 11.0
|Dec mean C = 5.1
| year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -0.4
|Feb low C = 0.5
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 8.5
|May low C = 13.0
|Jun low C = 17.0
|Jul low C = 19.1
|Aug low C = 19.0
|Sep low C = 14.9
|Oct low C = 10.5
|Nov low C = 5.4
|Dec low C = 0.7
| year low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 43.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 50.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 52.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 80.1
|May precipitation mm = 73.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 61.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 28.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 51.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 70.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 104.1
|Nov precipitation mm = 98.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 60.5
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 7
| Feb precipitation days = 7
| Mar precipitation days = 8
| Apr precipitation days = 9
| May precipitation days = 9
| Jun precipitation days = 7
| Jul precipitation days = 4
| Aug precipitation days = 5
| Sep precipitation days = 6
| Oct precipitation days = 9
| Nov precipitation days = 9
| Dec precipitation days = 8
| year precipitation days =
| source 1 = Arpae Emilia-Romagna<ref name=Clim>{{cite web
| url = https://www.arpae.it/it/temi-ambientali/clima/dati-e-indicatori/tabelle-climatiche/tabelle-climatologiche-1961-2020
| title = Tabelle climatologiche
| publisher= Arpae Emilia-Romagna agenzia prevenzione ambiente energia
| access-date = 30 June 2024}}</ref>
| source 2 = Temperature estreme in Toscana (extremes)<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://climaintoscana.altervista.org/italia/stazioni-storiche/parma-osservatorio-universita/
|language = it
|title=Parma Osservatorio dell'Università
| publisher = Temperature estreme in Toscana
| access-date = 30 November 2024}}</ref> Climi e viaggi (precipitation days)<ref name=ISPRAClim>{{cite web
| url = https://www.climieviaggi.it/clima/italia/parma
| title = Clima - Parma (Emilia Romagna)
| publisher= Climi e viaggi
| access-date = 30 November 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Largest resident foreign-born groups (1/1/2016){{r|ISTAT_Bil2015Ext}}
|-
! Country of birth ||Population
|-
| {{flagicon|MDA}} [[Moldova]] ||4,967
|-
| {{flagicon|ROU}} [[Romania]] ||3,513
|-
| {{flagicon|ALB}} [[Albania]] ||2,661
|-
| {{flagicon|PHI}} [[Philippines]] ||2,570
|-
| {{flagicon|TUN}} [[Tunisia]] ||1,561
|-
| {{flagicon|NGA}} [[Nigeria]] ||1,450
|-
| {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Ukraine]] ||1,292
|-
| {{flagicon|MAR}} [[Morocco]] ||1,264
|-
| {{flagicon|GHA}} [[Ghana]] ||1,104
|-
| {{flagicon|CIV}} [[Ivory Coast]] ||938
|-
| {{flagicon|PRC}} [[China]] ||819

|}
As of 2025, Parma has a population of 198,986, of which 48.7% are male and 51.3% are female. Minors total 15.2% of the population, and pensioners number 22.6%. This compares with the Italian average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.{{cn|date=July 2025}} In the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, the population of Parma grew by 11.1%, while Italy as a whole declined by 0.7%.<ref name="timeseries" /> In the same period foreign born residents in Parma experienced +385.02% growth, while in Italy growth was of +274.75%. {{r|ISTAT_Inter2001}} The current birth rate of Parma is 8.62 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 8.01 births.{{Historical populations|1861|68284|1871|68889|1881|68382|1901|77004|1911|84140|1921|96347|1931|106400|1936|109365|1951|122978|1961|147368|1971|175228|1981|179019|1991|170520|2001|163457|2011|175895|2021|195436|source=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Popolazione residente dei comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1991|trans-title=Resident population of the municipalities. Censuses from 1861 to 1991|url=https://ebiblio.istat.it/digibib/Censimenti%20popolazione/Censimentipopolazioneresidentedal1861/RML0050288Pop_res_cens_1861_1991.pdf|lang=it|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref><ref name="timeseries">{{cite web |title=Dashboard Permanent census of population and housing|url=https://esploradati.censimentopopolazione.istat.it/databrowser/#/en/censtest/dashboards|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|ISTAT]]}}</ref>|align=right|cols=1}}{{As of|2016|01|01}}, 84.09% of the population was [[Italian people|Italian]]. The largest foreign group came from other parts of [[Europe]] (namely [[Moldova]], [[Romania]], [[Albania]], and [[Ukraine]]: 6.45%), followed by [[Sub-Saharan Africa]] (namely [[Ghana]], [[Nigeria]] and [[Ivory Coast]]: 1.81%), [[North Africa]] (namely [[Morocco]] and [[Tunisia]]: 1.46%) and the [[Philippines]]: 1.33%.{{r|ISTAT_Bil2015Ext}}

== Main sights ==

=== Religious buildings ===
[[File:San Giovanni Evangelista.JPG|thumb|Late [[Mannerism|Mannerist]] façade of the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, by [[Simone Moschino]] (1604), with sculpture by Giambattista Carra da Bissone<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.monasterosangiovanni.com/chiesa.html|title=Monastero di San Giovanni, la chiesa|language=it}}</ref>]]
[[File:Chiesa di San Francesco del Prato (Parma) - facciata 2 2022-08-06.jpg|thumb|Façade of the church of San Francesco del Prato]]
* ''[[Parma Cathedral]]'' (begun 1090) – Romanesque church housing a 12th-century sculpture by [[Benedetto Antelami]] and the dome fresco (1526–1530) by [[Antonio da Correggio]].
* ''[[Baptistery of Parma|Baptistery]]'' (begun 1196) – pink Verona marble baptistery by Antelami, adjacent to the cathedral.
* ''[[San Giovanni Evangelista, Parma|San Giovanni Evangelista]]'' (10th century; rebuilt 1498 & 1510) – abbey church behind the cathedral's apse, with a late-Mannerist façade by Simone Moschino. The cupola is frescoed with Correggio's ''[[Vision of St. John the Evangelist (Correggio)|Vision of St. John the Evangelist]]'' (1520–22), a landmark in illusionistic perspective ceilings. Cloisters and library also notable.
* ''[[Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata]]'' (begun 1521) – octagonal Renaissance church famous for Correggio's cupola frescoes.
* ''[[Sant'Uldarico, Parma]]'' (built 1411) – late-Gothic church originally part of a convent.
* ''[[San Paolo, Parma]]'' (11th century) – former Benedictine convent housing Correggio's frescoes in the ''[[Camera di San Paolo]]'' (1519–20) and paintings by [[Alessandro Araldi]].
* ''[[San Francesco del Prato, Parma|San Francesco del Prato]]'' (13th century) – Gothic church used as a jail from the Napoleonic era until the 1990s, when its 16 façade windows were reopened. The Oratory of the Concezione contains frescoes by [[Michelangelo Anselmi]] and [[Francesco Rondani]].
* ''[[Santa Croce, Parma|Santa Croce]]'' (12th century) – Romanesque church with a nave and two aisles ending in a semicircular apse. Rebuilt in 1415 and again in 1635–66. Nave frescoes by [[Giovanni Maria Conti]], Francesco Reti and Antonio Lombardi date from these periods.
* ''[[San Sepolcro, Parma|San Sepolcro]]'' (1275) – church erected over an earlier building; interiors renovated in 1506, 1603 and 1701. The Baroque bell tower dates to 1616 and its bells to 1753. Adjacent stands the former monastery (1493–95) of the Lateran Canons.
* ''[[Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, Parma|Santa Caterina d'Alessandria]]'' (14th century) – Gothic church noted for its lancet windows and simple brick façade.
* ''[[Santa Maria del Quartiere, Parma|Santa Maria del Quartiere]]'' (1604–19) – unusual hexagonal-plan church; cupola frescoes by [[Pier Antonio Bernabei]] and pupils.
* ''[[San Rocco, Parma|San Rocco]]'' (rebuilt 1754) – late-Baroque church dedicated to one of Parma's patron saints.
* ''[[Santa Cristina, Parma|Santa Cristina]]'' (begun 1610) – Baroque church renowned for its elaborate stucco decoration.

=== Secular buildings ===
* ''[[Ducal Palace of Parma|Palazzo Ducale]]'' (begun 1622) – former residence of the Farnese dukes, featuring Baroque interiors and the Theatre of the Ducal Palace.
* ''[[Palazzo della Pilotta]]'' (1583) – houses the Academy of Fine Arts (School of Parma), the [[Biblioteca Palatina|Palatine Library]], the [[Galleria Nazionale di Parma|National Gallery]], the Archaeological Museum, the Bodoni Museum,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.briarpress.org/1835|title=Bodoni Museum|access-date=2009-10-23}}</ref> and the [[Teatro Farnese|Farnese Theatre]]. Partially destroyed during World War II.
* ''[[Palazzo del Giardino]]'' (1561) – designed by [[Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola]] for Duke [[Ottavio Farnese]] on the former Sforza castle site; enlarged in the 17th–18th centuries. Includes the ''Palazzo Eucherio Sanvitale'' with 16th-century decorations attributed to Gianfrancesco d'Agrate and a fresco by [[Parmigianino]]. The annexed Ducal Park was laid out in French style in 1749.
* ''[[Palazzo del Comune, Parma|Palazzo del Comune]]'' (1627) – municipal offices.
* ''[[Palazzo del Governatore, Parma|Palazzo del Governatore]]'' (13th century) – Governor's Palace.
* ''Bishop's Palace'' (1055) – episcopal residence adjacent to the cathedral.
* ''Ospedale Vecchio'' (1250) – old hospital later renovated in Renaissance style.
* ''[[Palazzo Tarasconi, Parma|Palazzo Tarasconi]]'' (19th century) – historic urban palace now used as an exhibition space.

=== Other sites of interest ===
[[File:Parma Opera e Biciclette.jpg|thumb|Opera house programme near Teatro Regio]]
* ''The Cittadella'' (16th century) – fortress erected by Duke [[Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma|Alessandro Farnese]], adjacent to the old city walls.
* ''Pons Lapidis'' (reign of Augustus, 1st century AD) – ruins of an ancient Roman stone bridge also known as the Roman Bridge or Theoderic's Bridge.
* ''[[Orto Botanico di Parma]]'' (est. 1773) – botanical garden maintained by the University of Parma.
* ''[[Teatro Farnese]]'' (1618–19) – all-wood theatre designed by Giovan Battista Aleotti; commissioned by Duke Ranuccio I Farnese for the visit of [[Cosimo I de' Medici]].
* ''[[Teatro Regio di Parma|Teatro Regio]]'' (1821–29) – city opera house by Nicola Bettoli, featuring a Neoclassical façade and a porch with a double window order.
* ''Auditorium Niccolò Paganini'' – concert hall designed by [[Renzo Piano]].
* ''[[House of Arturo Toscanini|Museum House of Arturo Toscanini]]'' – birthplace of conductor Arturo Toscanini, now a museum.
* ''[[Museo Lombardi]]'' – exhibits art and historical items related to [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Maria Luigia]] of Habsburg and [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], as well as documents of the Duchy of Parma in the 18th–19th centuries.

== Culture ==

===Food and cuisine===

[[File:09 Parma night, Italy - イタリアのカフェ.jpg|thumb|left|Caffè Teatro Regio in front of the theatre]]

Parma is famous for its food and rich gastronomical tradition: two of its specialties are ''[[Parmesan|Parmigiano Reggiano]]'' [[cheese]] (also produced in [[Reggio Emilia]]) and ''[[Prosciutto|Prosciutto di Parma]]'' ("Parma ham"), both given [[Protected designation of origin]] status. Parma also claims several stuffed pasta dishes, such as ''tortelli d'erbetta'' and ''anolini in brodo''.

In 2004, Parma was appointed the seat of the [[European Food Safety Authority|European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)]] and was appointed to the [[Creative Cities Network]] as [[UNESCO]] City of Gastronomy.
Parma also has two food multinationals, [[Barilla (company)|Barilla]] and [[Parmalat]], and a medium-large food tourism sector, represented by Parma Golosa and Food Valley companies.

{{clear}}

<gallery>
File:Parmigiano_reggiano_piece.jpg|''Parmigiano Reggiano'' cheese, the true "Parmesan"
File:Prosciutto_di_Parma_-_affettato2.jpg|''Prosciutto di Parma'' (cured ham)
File:Tortelli d'erbetta.jpg|''Tortelli d'erbetta''
File:Anolini in brodo.jpg|''Anolini in brodo''
</gallery>

==''Frazioni''==
The comune (municipality) of Parma is subdivided into a number of [[frazione|frazioni]]:
Alberi, Baganzola, Beneceto, Botteghino, Ca'Terzi, Calestano, Carignano, Carpaneto, Cartiera, Casalbaroncolo, Casalora di Ravadese, Casaltone, Case Capelli, Case Cocconi, Case Crostolo, Case Nuove, Case Rosse, Case Vecchie, Casino dalla Rosa, Casagnola, Castelletto, Castelnovo, Cervara, Chiozzola, Coloreto, Colorno, Corcagnano, Eia, Fontanini, Fontanellato, Fontevivo, Gaione, Ghiaiata Nuova, Il Moro, La Catena, La Palazzina, Malandriano, Marano, Marore, Martorano, Molino di Malandriano, Osteria San Martino, Panocchia, Paradigna, Pedrignano, Pilastrello, Pizzolese, Ponte, Porporano, Pozzetto Piccolo, Quercioli, Ravadese, Ronco Pascolo, Rosa, [[San Pancrazio Parmense|San Pancrazio]], San Prospero, San Ruffino, San Secondo, Sissa, Soragna, Terenzo, Tizzano Val Parma, Traversetolo, Trecasali, Valera, Viarolo, Viazza, Vicofertile, Vicomero, Vigatto, Vigheffio, Vigolante.
<!--SEE THE ITALIAN WIKIPEDIA IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND THE FRACTION RED LINKS-->

==Notable people==
<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->

===Painters and sculptors===
* [[Michelangelo Anselmi]], painter born in [[Tuscany]]
* [[Benedetto Antelami]], architect and sculptor
* [[Alessandro Araldi]], painter
* [[Sisto Badalocchio]], painter
* [[Jacopo Bertoia]] (Giacomo Zanguidi or Jacopo Zanguidi or Bertoja), painter
* [[Amedeo Bocchi]], painter
* [[Giulio Carmignani]], painter
* [[Antonio da Correggio]] (Antonio Allegri), born in [[Correggio, Emilia-Romagna|Correggio]] ([[Reggio Emilia]]), painter

[[File:Correggio 010.jpg|thumb|Detail of Correggio's frescoes in the ''Camera di San Paolo'']]

* [[Francesco Marmitta]], painter
* [[Filippo Mazzola]], painter
* Francesco Mazzola, best known as Il [[Parmigianino]], painter
* [[Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli]], painter
* [[Giovanni Maria Francesco Rondani]], painter
* [[Bartolomeo Schedoni]], painter

===Others===<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[Vittorio Adorni]], cyclist
* [[Giovanni Amighetti]], composer and musician
* [[Amoretti Brothers]], typographers and typefounders, Bodoni's opponents
* [[Andrea Belicchi]], racing driver
* [[Attilio Bertolucci]], poet
* [[Bernardo Bertolucci]], director
* [[Giuseppe Bertolucci]], director
* [[Giambattista Bodoni]], typographer
* [[Vittorio Bottego]], explorer
* [[Cleofonte Campanini]], conductor
* [[Girolamo Cantelli]], politician 
* [[Francesco Cura]], actor, singer and model
* [[Elisabeth Farnese|Elizabeth Farnese]], Queen of Spain
* [[Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma|Odoardo Farnese]], duke of Parma
* [[Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma]], military commander
* [[Adalgisa Gabbi]] (1857–1933), opera singer
* [[Francesco Gabriele Frola]], ballet dancer
* [[Vittorio Gallese]], physiologist
* [[Pietro Gandolfi]], racing driver
* [[Fiorello Giraud]], opera singer
* [[Giovannino Guareschi]], writer
* [[Enzo Magnanini]], footballer
* [[Adriano Malori]], cyclist
* [[Artemio Motta]], composer
* [[Franco Nero]], actor
* [[Antonio Brianti]], architect
* [[Ferdinando Paer]], composer
* [[Niccolò Paganini]], composer and musician, buried in Parma
* [[Renzo Pezzani]], poet
* [[Alex Szilasi]], pianist 
* [[Arturo Toscanini]], conductor
* [[Bello FiGo|Paul Yeboah]] (Bello FiGo), singer 
* [[Giuseppe Verdi]], opera composer
* [[Marcus Thuram]], footballer
* [[Jerry Torre]], footballer
* [[Sergio Costa (businessman)|Sergio Costa]], businessman, founder of [[Costa Coffee]]

==Sport==
[[File:Stadio Ennio Tardini 5.JPG|thumb|Parma F.C. fans at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, one of the oldest stadiums in Italy]]

[[Parma Calcio 1913]], founded in 2015, is a [[Serie A]] (first division) [[association football|football]] club. It replaced [[Parma Calcio 1913|Parma F.C.]], which went [[Bankruptcy|bankrupt]] in 2015. It plays in the city's [[Stadio Ennio Tardini]], which opened in 1923 and seats up to 23,000.

Parma's other sport team is the [[rugby union]] club [[Zebre Parma|Zebre]] which competes in [[United Rugby Championship|Pro14]], one of the top rugby competitions in the world. Parma also is home to two [[rugby union]] teams in the top national division, [[Crociati Parma Rugby FC|Overmach Rugby Parma]] and [[Gran Ducato Parma Rugby|SKG Gran Rugby]].

[[Parma Panthers]] is the Parma [[American football]] team which provided the basis for [[John Grisham]]'s book ''[[Playing for Pizza]]''. [[Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi]] is the ground of rugby and American football teams.

[[Pallavolo Parma]] and [[Parma Baseball Club|Parma Baseball]] are other sports teams in the city. [[Nino Cavalli Stadium]] is a [[Ballpark|baseball stadium]] located in Parma.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://parma-emilia-romagna.catalogo-online.it/punto-di-linteresse/stadium-of-baseball-nino-cavalli-parma/|title=Stadium Of Baseball Nino Cavalli — Punto dinteresse in Parma, Via Teresa Confalonieri Casati, 22, 43125 Parma PR, Italy|website=parma-emilia-romagna.catalogo-online.it|access-date=2 January 2020|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102102504/https://parma-emilia-romagna.catalogo-online.it/punto-di-linteresse/stadium-of-baseball-nino-cavalli-parma/|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the home stadium of Parma Baseball of the [[Italian Baseball League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parmabaseball.it/tutte-le-news/874-le-modalita-di-accesso-e-i-prezzi-dei-bilgietti-per-gara-tre-e-l-eventuale-gara-quattro-si-gioca-martedi-e-mercoledi-alle-20-30.html|title=Parma Baseball - LE MODALITA' DI ACCESSO E I PREZZI DEI BIGLIETTI PER GARA TRE E L'EVENTUALE GARA QUATTRO. SI GIOCA MARTEDI' E MERCOLEDI' ALLE 20.30|website=www.parmabaseball.it|access-date=2 January 2020|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102102505/http://www.parmabaseball.it/tutte-le-news/874-le-modalita-di-accesso-e-i-prezzi-dei-bilgietti-per-gara-tre-e-l-eventuale-gara-quattro-si-gioca-martedi-e-mercoledi-alle-20-30.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Economy and infrastructure ==
Parma has a thriving economy, and the food sector is very developed. Some of the players in this sector include [[Barilla (company)|Barilla]], which is based in the city. [[Chiesi Farmaceutici]], in the pharma industry, is headquartered in Parma. The [[European Food Safety Authority]] is also based in Parma.

===Transport===

[[Parma railway station]] is on the [[Milan–Bologna railway]] system.

The [[Trolleybuses in Parma|Parma trolleybus system]] has been in operation since 1953. It replaced an earlier [[tram]]way network, and presently comprises four [[trolleybus]] routes.

The city is served by [[Parma Airport|Aeroporto Internazionale di Parma]]. However, the airport only provides commercial flights to limited European destinations. The nearest international airport is [[Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport]], which is located {{convert|94|km|abbr=on}} east of Parma.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy}}
Parma is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Gemellaggi|url=https://www.comune.parma.it/comune/Gemellaggi.aspx|website=comune.parma.it|publisher=Parma|language=it|access-date=2019-12-16}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bourg-en-Bresse]], France
*{{flagicon|SVN}} [[Ljubljana]], Slovenia
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shijiazhuang]], China
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Szeged]], Hungary
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Tours]], France
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Worms, Germany|Worms]], Germany
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], United States
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Italy|European Union|Cities}}
* [[European College of Parma]]
* [[University of Parma]]
* [[History of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza#]]

==References==
<references>
<ref name=ISTAT_Bil2015Ext>{{cite web |title=Cittadini stranieri - Bilancio demografico Anno 2015 |website=GeoDemo - Istat |language=it |url=http://demo.istat.it/str2015/index.html |access-date=1 August 2016}}</ref>
<ref name=ISTAT_Inter2001>{{cite web |title=Bilancio demografico intercensuario Anno 2002 |website=GeoDemo - Istat |language=it |url=http://demo.istat.it/ricostruzione2013/index.php?lingua=ita |access-date=1 August 2016}}</ref>
</references>

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Parma#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Parma}}

==External links==
* [http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia/emilia-romagna/parma/piazza-garibaldi.html Live-streaming webcam on Garibaldi Square]
* [https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.798769,10.323372&spn=0.086441,0.158838&t=k&hl=en Parma's view from satellite (Google Earth)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040308234335/http://www.comune.parma.it/tourvirtuale/index.html 360° photos of City of Parma]
* [http://www.webvisionitaly.com/category.php?id=11&ref_genre=&ref_item=22 Video Introduction to Parma and the Parmigiano Reggiano]
* [http://italiantourism.us/italy-travel-guide/emilia-romagna-sightseeing/#parma Video Brief History of Parma]
*[http://www.efsa.europa.eu/ The European Food Safety Authority Website]
* [http://www.paesaggioitaliano.eu/gallery/parma/index.php Photo Gallery by Leonardo Bellotti] {{in lang|it}}
* [https://archive.today/20130817160501/http://thecampanileproject.org/campanile/index.php/emilia-romagna/parma Parma on The Campanile Project]
* {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Parma |volume=20 |pages=850–851 |short=1}}

{{Subject bar |commons=y |voy=y |wikt=y}}

{{Province of Parma}}
{{Cities in Italy}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Parma| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Emilia-Romagna]]