Handicraft

Violets were the favourite flower of Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s second wife and eventual Duchess of Parma and Guastalla from 1816 to 1847. It was upon her request that the friars from Convento dell'Annunciata began to extract an essence closely resembling the scent of the real flower.

The formula was intended to be kept secret, for private use only, but today it is available to the public. It is no accident that Parma houses the first Italian Perfume Museum (Museo della profumeria), in Palazzo Borsari. Leather works, too, are typical local handicrafts: here you can buy leather accessories with the exclusive "Made in Parma" label.

For antique lovers, the Mercanteinfiera international exhibition provides the perfect occasion to buy antique objects and furniture, as does the town market held every Thursday under the porticoes of the Ospedale Vecchio (old hospital) in Via D’Azeglio. Here you will find plenty of stalls selling all sorts of things: dresses and lace trimmings, home furnishings, jewellery, books, comics and other bric-a-brac, alongside valuable objects certified and guaranteed to be authentic.

Another welldeveloped local sector is organic and natural nonfood products such as candles, soap, body lotions and creams.