Parma by bike

From the riverside to the city parks, up to the historic center to wander around a city made for two wheels!

We start from the "Cicletteria" bicycle rental point located at the train station and continue along Viale Toschi, the avenue that runs alongside the Parma river, in front of the large arches of the Palazzo della Pilotta, which was severely damaged by the bombings of 1944 and then partially rebuilt. Turning right and crossing the Verdi bridge you find yourself in front of the gate of the Parco Ducale, with centuries-old trees that in their positioning create an elaborate green architecture, studied and prepared in 1560 and subsequently expanded in the 18th century. Taking the avenue on the right you find yourself in front of the Palazzo Ducale which, commissioned by Ottavio Farnese in 1561 and built to a design by Vignola, is currently the headquarters of the Carabinieri.

The park can be explored entirely by bike and includes not only the lake with the historic Trianon fountain in the center, but also the precious statues of Boudard. Taking the exit to the left of the lake, you head towards the center.
Leaving the Church of Santa Croce, of ancient Roman origins that stands along the route of the ancient Via Francigena (12th century), you go along Via D'Azeglio, a historic street located in the Oltretorrente district. Before the bridge, on the left, there is the Church of the Annunziata built after 1566.
After crossing the Ponte di Mezzo, you return to Palazzo Pilotta to leave your bicycle in the racks in front of the Academy of Fine Arts. Passing under the arches of the Palace, the staircase on the right invites you to visit the Galleria Nazionale, established by the Dukes of Parma and enriched by the purchases made by Maria Luigia of Austria, it is an important collection of paintings in which works by Parmigianino, Correggio, the Scapigliata by Leonardo and the statue of Maria Luigia by Canova stand out. The Gallery is accessed through the Teatro Farnese, a wooden work by Giovanni Battista Aleotti. These museums are part of the Monumental Complex of the Pilotta.

Returning to your bike, you cross the lawn of Piazzale della Pace (pushing the bike by hand for a very short distance) and continue along Via Melloni where you find the Camera di San Paolo frescoed by Correggio.
Leaving, continue on Via Melloni turning right onto Via Cavour, the city's shopping center. Then taking the first left you reach Piazza Duomo for a visit to the Cathedral, begun around 1059, consecrated in 1106 and dedicated to the Assumption, it is among the most representative Romanesque-Padanian buildings of the period. The beautiful fresco by Correggio with the Assumption of the Virgin decorates the interior of the dome. Next to the Cathedral, the octagonal Baptistery bears on the architrave of the north portal, the one facing the square called the Virgin, the date of the start of construction work and the name of Benedetto Antelami who directed the work and created almost all of the wonderful plastic decoration of the building.

The route can then continue along the Duomo on the right and reach the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, with the beautiful dome frescoed by Correggio. From here, a small detour to admire the Church of San Francesco del Prato and then pass by Borgo delle Colonne, turn right onto Via Saffi and following it all the way you arrive in Via Repubblica, the large street full of shops that connects the center to Via Emilia. Proceeding to the left and reaching the large roundabout with an imposing fountain in the center, turn left onto Viale Barilla until you reach the entrance gate of the Ex Eridania and Falcone e Borsellino Park, where the former sugar factory is located, now transformed into the Paganini Auditorium, an innovative example of industrial archaeology recovery, designed and built by the architect Renzo Piano.

Once you leave the park and retrace the road back to the roundabout, you can continue on Viale San Michele and reach the Stradone, Viale Martiri della Libertà, the first Italian boulevard modeled on the French ones, a typical expression of Enlightenment urban planning. Walking along the main road to the end, before turning right into Viale Basetti, you can enjoy the overall view of the avenue with the vanishing point in the Casino Petitot.

Then turning right along the river in Viale Basetti, continue along Viale Toscanini and Viale Mariotti to return to the starting point, or you can turn right at the first traffic light and turn into Via Farini to return to Piazza Garibaldi, the center of city life and the intersection of the city's main roads overlooking the Palazzo Comunale and the renovated Palazzo del Governatore, with its baroque tower, bell tower and two sundials dating back to 1829.
Continuing on Via Mazzini towards the river and turning right before crossing the bridge, you return to the starting point and return your bike.