Parma is a beautiful city in Northern Italy. It is located in the region of Emilia Romagna, where you can also find other interesting towns as Bologna, Ferrara, Rimini or Piacenza. The cathedral, the theater Regio or the theater Farnese are very well known. But it is the gastronomy that has turned the world’s eyes to Parma. Do not miss the following events to discover it.

 Festival del prosciutto, ham festival

Parma is the town where a delicious cured ham is produced. Made from pig’s ham the whole process can take one year and often even longer. If you want to know more on the production you can visit Parma during the Ham Festival held in middle September. Ham factories are open to public letting people see how they salt and cure the meat. But for those who prefer tasting the product there are many opportunities to do it during these days. Ham is often served as an antipasto with grissini. It can also be used with pasta or pizza as most of the visitors are often used to. If you do not have the time to stop and eat, then a sandwich with ham, a panino, will be your possibility to enjoy the product.

An important point during the festival is the Parma Ham and Deli Meats Museum in the Cattle Market. Other events organized in this period are special menus in restaurants, music and activities for children.

 Cibus

During the month of May since 1985 it is held Cibus, an international food exhibition that attracts a large number of professionals from all over the world. It is a real window for the Italian agri-food sector trying to show the Made in Italy way to the rest of the world. More than sixty thousand visitors from seventy countries and ten thousand products presented are the key numbers. The event is addressed to restaurants, retailers, dieticians, bakers and catering companies. Food processing and machinery are exhibited at la Fiera di Parma where the event is located. The location has been chosen due to its proximity to the Italian Center for Agri-food Research. Next appointment is expected for May 2014.

 Verdi festival, a tribute to the maestro

Roncole di Busseto, in the province of Parma is the native village of the great operas Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi and celebrations of the most famous citizen are held at the beginning of the Autumn. For twenty eight days one of his masterpieces is daily offered at Theater Regio. Otello, The Battle of Legnano, Rigoletto and many other operas are performed by young and great artists. But side events are also amazing and visitors enjoy them greatly. Do not miss Il gioco dell’Opera, an introduction to opera for children, or Premio Zanfi, an international contest for new performers. Concerts and other events are also held under the arcades of the Portici del Grano.

Music and gastronomy are the main activities in Parma, a modern city with an exciting past full of history and culture. Exquisite hotels, tours in the Old Town and unforgettable meals with parmigiano cheese and Italian wine wait for the visitors of the Ham Festival, Cibus and the Verdi Festival.