World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Parma: Standing on Via Emilia, about 90km (56 miles) northwest of Bologna, Parma became an important trading colony during Roman times. Today, it is the second most populous city in Emilia-Romagna, after Bologna. Although justifiably famous for its tangy cheese and sweet cured ham, Parma is much more than Italy’s glorified larder. Home of Verdi and resting place of the renowned violinist, Nicolo Paganini, Parma boasts a fine musical tradition and is home to one of Italy’s most important opera venues, the Regio Theatre (tel: (0521) 218 685).

The city enjoyed an intense period of artistic and architectural development during the long reign of the Farnese dynasty (1545-1731). Aside from the magnificent Romanesque Cathedral and Baptistry, there are some exceptional frescoes by Correggio and Parmigianino in the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista. Meanwhile paintings by Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci and El Greco are found in the National Gallery (tel: (0521) 233 309; fax: (0521) 206 336), located inside the Palazzo della Pilotta, which also contains the magnificent Farnese Theatre.

Trains depart for Parma from Bologna’s central station every hour (journey time – approximately 45 minutes). The Ufficio Informazioni ed Accoglienza Turistica tourist office is located at Via Melloni 1/b (tel: (0521) 218 889; fax: (0521) 234 735; e-mail: turismo@comune.parma.it; website: http://turismo.comune.parma.it) and is open Monday to Saturday 0900-1900, Sunday and holidays 0900-1300.

For a Whole Day

Florence: The artistic orgy of Florence (Firenze) is one of the key reasons why Bologna has so often been overlooked by visitors to Italy. Tourists flock to Florence in droves. Located approximately 80km (50 miles) south of Bolgona, just one hour by train, the city lies at the heart of the Renaissance and is home to some of the world’s greatest works of art, including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Michelangelo’s David and Masaccio’s Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. Architecturally, the gravity-defying dome of Brunelleschi’s Cathedral and Giotto’s elegant Campanile dominate the skyline but every nook and cranny of Florence holds a surprise. From the Ponte Vecchio to Santa Croce, the city dazzles with genius. Florence is easy on the eye but often hard on the feet. Any visit should include a cappuccino in one of the famous piazzas or a picnic in the Boboli Gardens, surrounded by gargoyles and the local cats.

The Ufficio Turismo, Borgo Santa Croce 29 (tel: (055) 234 0444; fax: (055) 226 4524; e-mail: infotur.scroce@comune.fi.it; website: www.comune.fi.it), is open Monday to Friday 0900-1400 and provides further information.