Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Parmaceu* (for Pharmaceu*)

If your idea of la dolce vita is a ham and cheese sandwich in a bucolic and historic section of Italy, the city of Parma is for you. According to Wikipedia, Parma is "famous for its ham (Prosciutto di Parma), its cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano), its architecture, and the fine countryside around it." Parma is an exceptionally old city, "already a built-up area in the Bronze Age." Although it "did not see widespread destruction" during the Second World War, portions of the Biblioteca Palatina were wiped out by Allied bombing. There are still many beautiful old churches, palaces, and other sights to be seen there, including the Museum House of Arturo Toscanini and the Ospedale Vecchio ("Old Hospital"). The latter was originally built in 1250 and later renovated during the Renaissance; currently it's home to the State Archives and Communal Library. Instead of a trip to your local pharmacy, a visit to Parma may be just the cure for what ails you. Parmaceu* (for pharmaceu*) pops up nine times in OhioLINK and 71 times in WorldCat.

(Townhall of Parma, Italy, March 28, 2002, by Herbert Ortner, from Wikimedia Commons.)

Carol Reid

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