ParCO: New Contemporary Art Hub to Open in Parma's Historic Ospedale Vecchio in 2025

The Ospedale Vecchio in Parma, founded in 1201 by Rodolfo Tanzi and one of Italy's oldest hospital buildings, is undergoing a major restoration and repurposing project led by the municipality. Within its Renaissance structure, a new cultural hub called ParCO will be dedicated to contemporary art. The initiative was proposed by the association Parma io ci sto!. ParCO will open on September 27, 2025, with an international forum involving artists and cultural figures, followed by an open call to select a future cultural director. The hub aims to host exhibitions, educational activities, and multidisciplinary programs, engaging authoritative curatorial and design figures. The open call for a project manager will run from September to November 2025, seeking someone to develop the institution's potential and build relationships with artists, museums, and audiences locally and internationally. ParCO is located near the University of Parma's Departments of Letters and Economics, the civic library, historical and film archives, and the Parco Ducale. Corrado Beldi of Parma io ci sto! stated that the project involves a participatory process and an advisory committee of primary cultural figures to ensure multidisciplinary programming including exhibitions, arts, and performance.