Three special days, full of events and emotions, for Inauguration Parma Italian Capital of Culture 2020 : 11, 12 and 13 January in which music, words, videos were the protagonists.
Saturday 11 January 2020
- Under the Portici del Grano in centre of Parma and then to follow in Galleria San Ludovico, at the start the first exhibition WE, FOOD, OUR PLANET: WE FEED A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
A digital tour of the Galleria San Ludovico and a photographic section of the exhibition under the Portici del Grano which can be visited until 22 March (World Water Day).
From the following day, the opening hours of the exhibition in Galleria San Ludovico will be as follows: Tuesday – Friday from 09.00 to 17.00; Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00; free admission.
- The highlight and certainly more engaging was already in the afternoon, when at 4 pm the meeting was at the Ducal Park to start the great INAUGURAL WALK OF PARMA 2020 “PEOPLE OF PARMA”
Many people, families with children, each had something yellow, because it is the characteristic color of the facades of many buildings in Parma and it is the one chosen as the basis for the logo and that distinguishes us everywhere!
At 4.30 pm the departure until arriving in Piazza Garibaldi: in tune with the National Anthem we listened to the words of the Mayor Pizzarotti and the Councilor for Culture of Parma, Michele Guerra up to the three GONGS that kicked off Parma Culture 2020.
- From 18 to 23 on the cardinal monuments of the three main squares of the city, videomapping were shown:
In Piazzale della Pace: 22.2.22, dedicated to the history of the Giuseppe Verdi Monument.
Piazza Duomo: Tempus, the time of work, on the facade of the Cathedral.
In Piazza Garibaldi, the words of culture.
All three are beautiful, one more beautiful than the other, engaging and captivating.
Sunday 12 January 2020
More music on bus lines, curated by Verdi Off and Fondazione Teatro Regio di Parma, under the arcades of the Teatro Regio, on the parvis of the Cathedral of Parma, in the railway station. At the start also many shows and photographic exhibitions in the youth centers of the city.
- At 16.00 the long-awaited INSTITUTIONAL CEREMONY OF INAUGURATION of Parma Italian Capital of Culture, at the Teatro Regio, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.
The city was in turmoil, as early as around 12 noon the operators were cordoning off the areas in front of the theater and loud was the background murmur of the people who wanted to arrive first and assist. A great moment also for those who stayed at home: they followed the direct on local TV.
The President arrived very punctually, at first he greeted with a brief nod the people gathered in front of the waiting, to then dedicate himself at the end of his speech, to his exit. A visit to the Exhibition at Palazzo del Governatore, in Time Machine, at Palazzo Pigorini for the Gazzetta di Parma, and then in the Prefecture, and at the end with the participation, at 8.30 pm in Giacomo Puccini’s TURANDOT, always at the Teatro Regio.
- At 18.30 at Palazzo del Governatore in Piazza Garibaldi, the second exhibition of Parma 2020 opens: TIME MACHINE. SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE TIME. It is part of the pilot project of the Parma 2020 application dossier and is the exhibition dedicated to the way in which cinema and other media have transformed our perception of time.
Entrance will be paid with the following visiting hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 15.00 to 19.00; Thursday – Sunday and holidays from 10.00 to 19.00.
Monday 13 January S. Ilario – Patron Saint of Parma
- The CEREMONY OF SANT’ILARIO begins at 11: on this occasion, the activities of all those who have contributed in any way to improving the life of individuals and the community and to raising the prestige of the city are rewarded. This year in the splendid setting of the Teatro Regio.
- At 4 pm at Palazzo Pigorini, there was the inauguration of the third Parma 2020 exhibition: PARMA IS THE JOURNAL. CHRONICLE, CULTURE, SHOWS, SPORT: 285 YEARS OF HISTORY The exhibition is dedicated to the history of this centuries-old newspaper, which since 1735 tells the story of the area and the history of the city of which it bears the name, becoming part of it.
The visiting hours of Palazzo Pigorini will be as follows: Tuesday – Friday from 16.00 to 19.00; Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 16.00 to 19.00; free admission.
Further events and exhibitions followed and the last day of this three-day event dedicated to the inauguration of Parma, the Italian capital of culture 2020, has ended.
Our personal conclusions
As we said, it was February 2018 when Parma was rewarded: a very exciting moment, it meant a lot of work by the Municipal Administration, but even more by every single Museum, Association, private that has fielded, energies and activities in these two years.
During these three days of Inauguration, from the words of the Mayor, the commitment for everything to run smoothly was very high as well as full of emotions. We citizens have received all this energy, we have been overwhelmed by a strong sense of belonging, together with all of Emilia.
There are over 400 events, shows and exhibitions to come and visit our beautiful Emilia and can be visited on the Parma Cultura website, in the calendar of events together with the Emilia of Piacenza and Reggio Emilia
There are no more excuses for not organizing a trip to Emilia!
We will talk to you about Parma Cultura and Emilia 2020 shortly, we will be your eyes and your story. We are waiting for you!
See you soon!
