PARMA, a city in the north of Italy, capital of the dutchy of the same name, is situated in a beautiful and fer tile country, on the banks of the small river Parma. This river runs through the town, dividing it into two un equal parts, which are united by bridges. It is surround ed by a ditch, and walls flanked with bastions ; and on the south side of the town is the citadel, a regular pentagon, which was formerly reckoned one of the strongest in Italy, but is now falling to decay. The streets are broad, regu lar, and clean, and meet in the centre, forming a handsome square, which is surrounded with arcades. The houses are of an indifferent appearance, being in general low ; many of them are painted on the outside. The public buildings are not remarkable for their architecture ; but the fine paintings with which many of them are enriched, attract universal admiration. It is here, in particular, that we are to look for the masterpieces of the eminent paint Correggio, Parmeggiann, and Lanfranco ; the two last of whom were natives of Parma.
The ducal palace is an extensive hut unfinished range of buildings, without regularity and without ornament. It is occupied by several public establishments, viz. the acade my of fine arts, the museum of sculpture and painting, and the public librory. The library consists of 80,000 vo lumes, and contains many rare editions of books ; but they are mostly old. In the gallery of the academy is the cele brated fresco picture of the virgin and the child, which is accounted Correggio's masterpiece. In the same gallery there are many other fine paintings, and several ancient statues, found in the ruins of Velleia. The theatre, which also forms a part of the palace, is a building of Vignola, on the plan of the ancients, like the Olympic theatre at Vicenza. It is said to be the largest in Europe, being ca pable of containing 10,000 spectators; but, on account of the great expense of fitting it up, it is never used, and therefore suffered to fall to decay. There are five colle giate and thirty parish churches in Parma. The cathedral is Soxon, but lined in the inside with Roman architecture ; it is celebrated for its cupola, painted by Correggio. The Steccata, which is built in the form of a Greek cross, is the most elegant church in Parma. In the cupola of the church of St. John there is also an admirable painting in fresco, by Correggio. The university was founded in 1412, by Nicolas d'Este. Its buildings, which are large and handsome, contain an anatomical theatre, an observatory, a chemical laboratory, and a museum of natural history ; there is also a botanical garden attached to it. The num
ber of students seldom exceeds 400. The college for the sons of the nobility. founded in 1600. by Ranuccio Farneze, is fitted for the accommodation of 500 students ; hut it is sel dom attended by more than fifty. The royal printing press of Parma, established in 1765, has produced several ele gant editions of the classics. Parma is the see of a bishop suffragan of Bologna, and the seat of the ducal administration. Its population is estimated at 28,500. Its trade consists chiefly of silk ; there are also small manufactures of hats and fustian. There is an agreeable promenade on the ramparts. Near the town is the Palazzo Giardino, a du cal palace surrounded with fine gardens. This spot was, in 1734, the scene of a bloody engagement between the French and Sardinians on the one side, and the Imperialists on the other, in which the latter were defeated.
Parma was founded by the ancient Etruscans. It after wards came into the possession of the Boil, a tribe of Cel tic Gauls ; and at length became a Roman colony, in the 568th year of the city. It is said to have suffered severe ly during the triumvirate, from the cruelties of Antony. It was several times taken and retaken by the Goths and Romans, the Lombards and Greek Exarchs. On the de struction of the kingdom of Lombardy, it was given by Charlemagne to the Holy See. It was then successively under the dominion of the house of Este, the Scaligers, Visconti, Sforzas. and the Popes; and in the sixteenth century it was given by Paul III., to his son Luigi Far nese. It remained in the Farnese family till the extinction of the male branch in the beginning of the last century, when it passed to the house of Spain, by the marriage of Elizabeth Farnese to Philip V. Their son, Don Carlos, in 1731, took possession of the dutchy.; but, on his obtain ing the crown of Naples, it was ceded to the Emperor. On his death, it was again claimed by Spain, and it was settled by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748. that Don Philip, second son of Elizabeth Farnese and Philip V. should be put in possession of the dutchies of Parma and Placentia. In 1801, the Duke of Parma obtained the crown of Tuscany, with the title of king of Etruria ; but, on his death, Parma and Placentia were occupied by the French troops, and united to France, forming the depart ment of the Taro. On the overthrow of Bonaparte, they were given, by the treaty of Paris, in 1814, to the ex-em press, Maria Louisa, reverting, on her death, to Austria and Sardinia ; hut, by later arrangements, it has been set tled that these provinces should eventually return to Spain. West long. 10° 20'; north lat. 44° 48'.