Parma, an unexpected treasure

Emilia Romagna is a region renowned worldwide for its food, none more so than its Parma ham and Reggiano Parmigiano cheese. Gastro-tourism is a very hot trend and Americans, many with Italian ancestry, are beating a path to the region.

Parma’s streets are pathways to culture with a capital C- Caroline Crutchley

However, the city of Parma has much more to offer than a table weighed down with mouth-watering food. Many tourists visit on day trips from Milan. A little like the crusty exterior of an aging Culatello, it grew on me the longer I lingered there.

This city has given the world a long line of distinguished poets, artists and musicians, the most famous being Giuseppe Verdi. Born in nearby Busseto, Verdi spent his time in Parma and Milan.

Parma’s streets are pathways to culture with a capital C. The Regio Theatre, designed in the neoclassical style and completed in 1829, is up there with the best in the world.

For a taste of what Malta can expect from a Renzo Piano design, I went along to a former sugar factory converted into the Paganini Auditorium.

I am afraid the jury is still out on this building. Through my eyes, it was a massive brick shell with a glass wall and little else; although I was assured the acoustics are great.

The House of Music is an archive of music and the House of Sound is a museum full of musical gadgets, from crystal radios to MP3 players.

On the west side of the River Parma is the home of maestro Toscanini. Thanks to the Farnese and Bourbon Duchy collections, each museum and theatre is chock-a-bloc full of rich pickings. Each footstep along the streets was a voyage of discovery.

A highlight is the Puppet Castle dedicated to the art of puppets and marionettes from the 1700s onwards. Grotesque heads stared back at me and I wondered whether nightmares would have followed performances back when this was only entertainment for the masses (www.castellodeiburattini.it).

Set up by the Ferrari family – peasant farmers, not of the sports car fame – performances today are satirical. The family use puppetry as a way of conveying human emotions. Sitting through a show liberated me from the confines of modern life; it was worth more to the human soul than months of therapy.

As I walked over the Ponte Verdi towards the Place della Pace, through the darkness of the portico archs of the Pilotta Palace, I was not prepared for the sights and space that greeted me.

Fountains, grass and sunlight filled the open space in stark contrast to the dark high walls of the 16th century buildings housing museums and libraries. The monument to Verdi took centre stage.

Piazza Duomo, with its cathedral and baptistery from the 1070s, displays the transition from Romanesque to Gothic art. As I sat in the shade, I realised that the piazza rivalled those in more popular Italian cities, yet it was without the hordes that throng Venice, Florence and Rome. This Italian city was an unexpected treasure.

The icing on the cake just has to be the food and wine of the countryside.

I travelled by bus to Langhirano, a village once famous for its cattle market and now ‘ham central’. Prosciutto, from the Latin prae exuctus, was traditionally cured by the Parma people using salt from nearby Salsomaggiore.

Here I tried lardo after some persuasion. This is 100 per cent pure white fat sliced extremely thin that was not as slimy as I expected and actually tasted of ham.

I went to Cavriago to meet Mateo Catellani, head of the cheese makers Grana D’Oro, on the family farm, where I also met the red cows that produce the best milk for cheese.

Apparently it is all down to the ancient local breed being able to convert the lush pastures into golden milk. Jersey cows have that same reputation in the UK. The aged-two-years, 40-kg rounds of cheese are much sought-after and I tasted why.

Onwards to the nearby village of Torrechiara and the Lamoretti winery under the shadow of one of the finest castles in Italy. Four defensive towers of the 15th century fortress dominate the hilltop; this building is famed for its frescoes.

Visit the museums dedicated to Parmigiano, prosciutto, salami and tomato (www.museidelcibo.it) to get a better idea of the local specialities.

Car hire or organised gastronomic tours are good options for those wanting to explore in a hurry.

Simple food makes a perfect meal in Italy; in the city of Parma that is so true. With so many long-established family restaurants it is hard to choose.

It was pure pleasure to end a day in Parma contemplating not only a bulging stomach, but the delights of this city full of fine architecture, art and food of the highest quality.