Parma offers unexpected and unique art treasures which will pleasantly surprise you. Already an important centre in Medieval times and for the history of Romanesque Art, the city was the capital of a small Duchy from 1550 until 1859. Bearing witness to this historical past is Piazza Duomo with the Baptistery, the Cathedral and the nearby church of St John the Evangelist with their masterpieces by Antelami, Correggio and Parmigianino. No less significant is the Pilotta Palace with its extraordinary wooden Farnese Theatre and the National Gallery, not forgetting the Ducal park and the Regio Theatre.