I awoke to a sun-filled sky on my third day in Parma!  Wanting to take advantage of the weather, I quickly headed out to explore the parts of the city that I’d not had a chance to see yet.  The Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista was built in 1510, but there had been a church on this spot since the 10th century.  The campanile of the church is the tallest in the city, standing 75 meters.I wanted to check out the local food market as, let’s face it, I was in Parma!  You can buy pretty much anything at the outdoor market.  The piazza that the market is set in, is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops.  There is also a supermarket, which I just had to check out.  Once I could tear myself away from the mouth watering displays, I headed over to the other side of the Torrente Parma, to check out the neighborhoods over there.The Monumento a Filippo Corridoni, in Piazza Corridoni, took my breath away!On one side of the piazza, you will find the Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata, which is considered to be one of the most significant monuments of Experimental Mannerism of the 16th century.Strada D’Azeglio is a main street, heading away from the river.  Further down the street, you come to a large-arcade, fronted building, the former Ospedale Vecchio, or old hospital.  This complex functioned as the city of Parma’s main hospital from the 1500’s until 1926.  Dating back to 1222, the Chiesa di Santa Croce is found in Piazza Santa Croce, at the other end of Strada D’Azeglio.  The Torrione Visconteo was built in the late 14th century.  It can be found directly across the river from Palazzo della Pilotta.  My next stop was going to be the Parco Ducale.  This was once the garden of the Palazzo Ducale, but now, it is a public park.  The palazzo is not open to visitors.  Today, it houses the offices of the Carabinieri.  The Parco Ducale is a lovely park, and a very nice way to spend a relaxing hour or so.  Another highlight of the park is the Tempietto d’Arcadia – which was built to look like an ancient ruin in 1769.  The Fontana del Trianon, in the middle of the small lake, is also a very lovely sight.

Up next: exploring more of Parma’s neighborhoods, including a visit to the Cittadella!

Note: this blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear.