Parma
A city of art, history, and prosciutto, divided by its stream.
Parma is a city in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 202,111 inhabitants as of 2025, Parma is the second most populous city in Emilia-Romagna after Bologna, the region's capital. The city is home to the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the stream of the same name. The district on the west side of the river is Oltretorrente, meaning The other side of the stream. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called Parma.
Quick Facts
- Era of peak rivalry
- 1993–2002
- Inter key figures
- Ronaldo Nazário
- Javier Zanetti
- Roberto Baggio
- Parma key figures
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Fabio Cannavaro
- Hernán Crespo
- Major shared competitions
- Serie A
- Coppa Italia
- UEFA Cup
- Nature of conflict
- Tactical Masterclass & Title Races
Lore & Background
Parma was already a built-up area in the Bronze Age, with a terramare village. The city was most probably founded and named by the Etruscans. The Roman colony was founded in 183 BC, together with Mutina (Modena); 2,000 families were settled. Parma had a certain importance as a road hub over the Via Aemilia and the Via Claudia. It had a forum, in what is today the central Garibaldi Square. In April 43 BC the city was destroyed. Subsequently Augustus rebuilt it. During the Roman Empire, it gained the title of Julia for its loyalty to the imperial house. Attila sacked the city in 452, and the Germanic king Odoacer later gifted it to his followers. During the Gothic War, Totila destroyed it. It was then part of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna (changing its name to Chrysopolis, 'Golden City', probably due to the presence of the imperial treasury) and, from 569, of the Lombard Kingdom of Italy. During the Middle Ages, Parma became an important stage of the Via Francigena. The city had a medieval Jewish community. The Palatine Library houses the largest collection of Hebrew manuscripts in Italy, and the second-largest in the world after the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Under Frankish rule, Parma became the capital of a county in 774. An almost independent commune was created around 1140. The struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines was a feature of Parma. In 1213, its podestà was the Guelph Rambertino Buvalelli. The city was besieged in 1247–48 by Emperor Frederick II, who was defeated in the battle that ensued but imperial forces revenged the loss soon afterwards and heavily defeated the Parmese. By 1328, Rolando de' Rossi was made signore of Parma. In 1331, the city submitted to King John of Bohemia. Parma fell under the control of Milan in 1341. After a short-lived period of independence under the Terzi family (1404–1409), the Sforza imposed their rule (1440–1449). Between the 14th and the 15th centuries, Parma was at the centre of the Italian Wars. The Battle of Fornovo was fought in its territory. The French held the city in 1500–1521, with a short Papal parenthesis in 1512–1515. After the foreigners were expelled, Parma belonged to the Papal States until 1545.
Reader's Guide
The district on the west side of the river is Oltretorrente. The city's central square is Garibaldi Square, site of the ancient Roman forum. Notable landmarks include the Baptistery of Parma (1196–1270), the Romanesque Cathedral of the Ascension of the Virgin, and the Palatine Library, which houses the largest collection of Hebrew manuscripts in Italy and the second-largest in the world after the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The castle of the Sanseverino in Colorno was turned into a luxurious summer palace by Ferdinando Bibiena. The city also features the Biblioteca Palatina, the Archaeological Museum, the Picture Gallery, the Botanical Garden, and the Royal Printing Works directed by Giambattista Bodoni.
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