Piazza del Duomo
An hour and a half by road from Milan is the small, elegant and refined city of Parma. In this foodie age it is probably better recognized for its parmigiano Reggiano, prosciuttos and salamis, all of which can and should be sampled with visits to the fattorias outside of town or the salumerias within. We certainly wanted to indulge, but I was particularly interested in savoring a handful of cultural gems: the Duomo frescoed ceiling, the great octagonal Romanesque baptistery, the wooden Teatro Farnese secreted within the Galleria Nazionale which also houses one of the great art collections of Emilia-Romagna including works by Corregio, Parmigianino, Francia and an extraordinary Leonardo masterpiece, and one of Italy’s major opera houses, the Teatro Regio. The birthplace of Verdi and Toscanini, Parma is also loved for its annual Verdi Festival which takes place during the month of October.
Baptistery frescoed ceiling
Teatro Farnese
The glorious religious art at the Galleria Nazionale
Leonardo da Vinci
Wonderful ceiling of the Teatro Regio, one of Italy’s most important opera houses
A view from every angle
Tips for Travel
Best Access: Fly in to Malpensa and train down to Parma if you are interested primarily in seeing the city’s cultural treasures. If you want to drive in the countryside and eat at restaurants outside of the city, pick up a hired car at the airport.
Best Hotel: Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati, Tel. +39 0521 386429
Best Salumerias: Salumeria Garibaldi, Salumeria Verdi, La Prosciutteria, Al Borgo-Formaggeria
Quick Lunch Spot: Degustaria on Borgo Palmia, 2
Lunch and Dinner: Angiol d’Or and La Forchetta
Foodie Guide: Stefania Bertaccini, +39 328 2172237
Cape Town is one of the world's great cities. The setting alone is worthy of top billing. And then you have a vibrant culinary scene, a fascinating flora and fauna representative of its microclimate, a diverse population and the logistical advantage that makes it a gateway for visits to the wine lands, to the garden route and north into the bush. In spite of the aforementioned, what makes me vibrate with anticipation in Cape Town is its flourishing art and design scene, its world class museums and galleries, its artisans, many of them passionately committed to ensuring that hand and design skills endure. The person who knows as much about this sector of the Capetonian landscape is Marion Ellis whose company, Cape Insights, designs whole or partial itineraries that feature - among other subject matter - the flourishing arts of the city. Marion's knowledge has both the breadth and depth to take you on a meandering journey across the media - from paintings and ceramics to photography and art installations - and behind the scenes to meet with collectors and artists, teachers and innovators."
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