September in Parma, a Unesco City of Gastronomy, famous for its productions of Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, pasta, tomato, culatello and more, will be all about food.
From 1 to 29 September, the Emilia-Romagna city hosts “Settembre Gastronomico,” or Gastronomic September, a series of food-themed events.
Bistro Parma is the name given to the space that will be set up on Piazza Garibaldi, under the Portici del Grano, where stands will displays the food products that are typical of the Parma area, prepared by Parma Quality Restaurants, a consortium of 28 prized restaurants in and around Parma.
Each week will be devoted to a different food theme in order to provide insight into each product: tomato, nicknamed ‘Oro Rosso di Parma (1-8 Sept.), Prosciutto di Parma DOP (9-15 Sept.), anchovies, or alici – yes, not many may know that Parma has a long tradition of anchovy processing - (16-22 Sept.), Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and pasta (23-29 Sept.).
The event kicks off officially on September 3 with the Cena dei Mille, when the historic center of Parma will turn into a gourmet restaurant under the stars ready to welcome 1,000 guests.
Settembre Gastronomico will also offer the chance to visit the producers, such as world-famous Pastificio Barilla, the cheesemakers and prosciutto makers behind Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and Prosciutto di Parma DOP, the processing plants of tomato Rodolfi Mansueto. It will also be possible to attend guided visits in the seven Museums of Food of the Province of Parma: Parmigiano Reggiano Museum, Pasta Museum, Tomato Museum, Wine Museum, Salame Felino Museum, Prosciutto di Parma Museum, Culatello Museum.
Parma also contains many gardens, and, as part of the event, on the evenings of Friday 13 and Friday 27 September, visitors can go on gastronomic walking tours amid green spaces, historic buildings and the halls of historic palaces, from the Convitto Maria Luigia to the Chiostro delle Maestre Luigine, from Palazzo Bossi Bocchi to Palazzo Soragna and Palazzo Pallavicino.
