Parma birthplace of Parmesan cheese Santa Maria della Steccata Baptistery Located beside the Cathedral in Parma, this is one of the greatest examples of art in Italy. The octagonal monument is made of Verona marble and has four tiers of open loggias topped by a row of blind arches and crowning pinnacles, is the most outstanding example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic art in Italy. The Farnese Theatre The Pilotta Palace is a Farnese palace and houses the National Gallery, the Farnese theatre, the archeological museum, the Bodoni museum and the Palatina Library. This photo and one below were taken in the early morning hours prior to the breast and ovarian cancer fundraiser event. These are hundreds if not thousands of blankets covering piazza duomo parma This was later in the day