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Duchy of Parma

This small state was situated in Lombardy, to the south of the Po, between Sardinia on the west, and Modena on the east. It consisted of the several ancient duchies of Parma, Placentia, and Guastalla, and was formed into a sovereignty in 1815, in favor of Maria Louisa, the consort of Napoleon. Guastalla is separated from the main body of the state by an intervening portion of the Duchy of Modena. On the death of Maria Louisa, in 1848, the Ex-Duke of Lucca succeeded to the throne.

Parma, the capital, is a large and handsome city on the river of the same name, and had about 30,000 inhabitants in 1850. It has a handsome cathedral, the dome of which is painted in fresco by Correggio. The church of La Madonna della Steccato is the great attraction of the place. Placentia, (Piacenza,) near the right bank of the Po, is a well-built episcopal city, with a ducal palace, cathedral, and a citadel occupied by Austrian troops. Population, 28,000. Borgo San Donino is a city with 5,000 inhabitants. Guastalla is a fortified city, with 6,000 inhabitants, near the right bank of the Po, north-east from Parma. Fiorenzijola is noted chiefly for the late discovery in its vicinity of the ruins of the ancient " Velleia," which seems to have been suddenly destroyed by a volcanic eruption, or by the fall of a mountain, soon after the period of Constantine the Great. It was among these ruins that the famous Trajan table, one of the most important relics of ancient Rome, was found.

The foundation of Parma is probably to be ascribed to the conaul M. AEmilius (B.C. 183), though the discovery of a lake-dwelling of the bronze period proves that a human aettlement existed here in prehistoric times. The town offered a determined resistance to the attacks of the Ligurians, but it was destroyed by Mark Antony as the birthplace of Cassius, one of Caesar's murderers. Under Augustus, who named it Colonia Julia Augusta Parma, it attained to new prosperity and repeated devastations in the early middle ages proved only temporary checks to the growth of its importance, which arose mainly from its woollen manufactories.

Parma participated in the general development of the towns of Upper Italy, zealously espoused the cause of the Guelpbs, and in 1247-48 was long unsuccessfully besieged by Emp. Frederick II. In 1303 Giberto da Correggio obtained possession of the supreme power. In 1346, after various vicissitudes, Parma came into the hands of the Visconti, and from that period down to 1512 it was generally united with the Duchy of Milan.

Parma owed its importance in the history of art to Antonio Allegri of Corregyio (1494-1534), who, after his early studies in Ferrara, lived here in a quiet and modest style, and died early. It was not till a later period, when be was followed by the Carracci, that his merits were duly appreciated. The best-known of his pupils is Francesco Mazzdla, surnamed Parmigianino (1503-40), an excellent portrait painter, and a native of Parma.

In 1545, after it had been annexed to the States of the Church, it was presented by Pope Paul III, with Piacenza, to his infamous son Pier Luigi Farnese. This prince was assassinated in 1547, and was succeeded by seven dukes of his family, including Alexander Farnetc (1586-92), who took part in the battle of Lepanto (1571) and afterwards attained great military distinction as Viceroy of the Netherlands under Philip II.

The male line became extinct in 1731. Elizabeth, the daughter and sole heiress of Duke Ranuccio II. (d. 1694), was married to King Philip V of Spain, and by the quadruple alliance concluded at London in 1718, the succession was secured to their son Charles who, however, ascended the throne of Naples in 1734, and deprived Parma of many treasures of art which now grace the national museum at Naples. By the Peace of Aixla-Chapelle in 1748 the duchy was ceded by Austria to his younger brother Philip; in 1807 it was annexed to France, and in 1815 awarded to Marie Louise, the wife of Napoleon I. In 1847, after her death, it came into the possession of the Bourbons, who had hitherto been indemnified with Lucca. Charles II (d. 1883) was banished in 1848, Charles III was assassinated in the open street in 1854, and in 1859 his widow withdrew along with the Austrian garrison. The Duchy covered an area of 2216 sq. M., and had a population of about half-a-million souls at that time.

A wide range of food and agricultural products are known by their quality attributes, place of origin, or other specific local factors. Over time, some product names or text on product labels have become generic and are used regardless of place of origin. Parmesan cheese is an example of a name that has become generic. "Parmesan" is referred to in a 1953 USDA publication, Cheese Varieties, as the "name in common use outside Italy and sometimes in Italy for a group of very hard cheese." Parmesan cheese is made in many parts of the world and traded internationally. In the United States and some other countries, parmesan is a generic name for an aged hard cheese (American parmesan cheese is made mostly in Wisconsin and New York). However, in Italy, the term is used to identify a specific cheese produced in a specific region under specific conditions.

The debate surrounding naming rights of agricultural and food products referring to geographical origin could potentially affect a number of generic product names, preventing their use. Under EU law, there are two levels of naming protection for food products: protection of designations of origin (PDO) and protection of geographical indications (PGI). Simply put, "a PDO covers the term used to describe foodstuffs that are produced, processed, and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how," according to EU law. Examples of EU PDO products are Roquefort and Parmigiano Reggiano for cheese and Prosciutto di Parma for ham.

The United States currently cannot market "Prosciutto di Parma" since the name has been reserved for ham from Parma, Italy. But under the EU proposal, could firms still market ham using a generic name such as "prosciutto," since this specific term does not refer to the geographical origin of the product? Representatives for Italian parmesan producers are claiming the name "parmesan" for cheese produced in the Parma region. Generic terms such as gorgonzola, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano for cheese have been commonly used for years. What would be the effects on producers and consumers if these names cannot be used?