Parma

The Medieval Baptistry	the cupola of the Duomo by Correggio	The camera degli Araldi	The camera di San Paolo

There is certainly enough to see in Parma to stay there for more than one day. But you can also get a good taste of the city, quite literally in fact, if you sample some of the delicious food, in a quick train trip from Florence.

The main reason I went to Parma was to see the Camera di San Paolo by Coreggio, which is located in an ex-benedictine convent. In the early sixteenth century, the extremely modern Badessa Giovanna commissioned Coreggio to paint a fabulous, illusionistic pergolata. Nude putti peek through the illusionistic greenery. Below, a series of lunettes illustrate mythological figures in pseudo low-relief. This room was finished in 1519. Equally interesting is the slightly earlier (1514) room next door, painted in rather archaeologicizing grotesque work by Alessandro Araldi.

The 11th century Duomo Complex is also worth the trip to Parma. The cupola of the Duomo is enriched by a later work by Correggio (1525-30), a piece that could be considered a forerunner of the Baroque. The Assumption of the Virgin takes place in a shower of light, and the strongly foreshortened figures' feet dangle in our eyes- one modern critic has called these "frog legs".

The Octagonal baptistry was finished in 1307, contains 14th century frescoes.

The best ravioli I have ever eaten were at the Trattoria Sorelle Picchi, a restaurant frequented by locals and located behind a Salumeria. The ladies who serve you will tell you what you should eat. You can watch as the ravioli are boiled in and ladled out from huge, low pots. We had ravioli alla zucca (pumpkin), potato, and "erbette" (mixed herbs). All was delicate and truly memorable. MAP