Parma Cathedral Church

Address: Piazza Duomo, 43121 Parma PR, Italy

Hours: Cathedral normally open during the day; specific visiting hours vary

Admission: Entrance to cathedral and baptistery small fee historically (€3-€6); museum and special access may be extra

Parma Cathedral is a Romanesque cathedral in Parma, northern Italy, originally consecrated in the early 12th century. The cathedral is a major local landmark noted for its sculpted façade and interior decoration.

The cathedral’s principal draw is the painted dome with the Assumption of the Virgin by Correggio, completed in the 1520s, and the richly ornamented nave and apse frescoes. The adjacent octagonal Baptistery, constructed in pink Verona marble at the turn of the 13th century, contains carved reliefs and a separate sculptural program.

Construction began in the 11th century and the building was consecrated in the early 1100s; subsequent centuries brought Renaissance decoration and major commissions such as Correggio’s dome fresco. The baptistery was built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and is attributed to work by Benedetto Antelami and his workshop.

The cathedral complex sits on Parma’s Piazza Duomo in the historic centre of the city, within easy walking distance of the town centre and rail station.

• Dome fresco: The dome contains Correggio’s famous fresco “Assumption of the Virgin”, painted in the 1520s and visible from the cathedral floor and side galleries.
• Baptistery: The baptistery next to the cathedral is built of pink Verona marble and is an important example of regional Romanesque sculpture and architecture.

What to See#

• Cathedral (Duomo): The main cathedral building dates to the 11th and 12th centuries and is noted for its Romanesque façade and sculptural decoration.
• Baptistery: The adjacent baptistery was carved from pink Verona marble in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and features relief sculpture by local masters.

Parma Cathedral is in the city’s historic center (Piazza Duomo), a short walk from Parma Centrale station. The cathedral is easily reached on foot from most central accommodations and the municipal parking areas.

• Look up: Correggio and Parmigianino frescoes and the cathedral's cupola painting are best appreciated from the nave floor when the light hits mid-morning.
• Combine a visit with a walk to the Baptistery and the Campo Santo for a compact architectural loop.