The construction of the Parco Ducale is dued to the Duke Ottavio Farnese, who commisioned the architect Giovanni Boscoli in 1561 to build a new home.
In 1690 the Duke Ranuccio Farnese for the wedding of his son, Edward Farnese, built in front of the villa a huge fishpond.
In the eighteenth century under the rule of the Bourbons the park was modified as a French garden and was decorated with sculptures of Boudard.
In 1816 the Duchess Marie Louise,decided to redesign the garden by Nicola Bettoli adding also an orchard.
Many years later (1927), Glauca Lombardi decided to place in the middle of the fishpond on the small island, the fountain designed in 1712 by Giuliano Mozzani called The Fountain of Trianon (see fountain gardens at Versailles).
Now the Parco Ducale is called "Garden" by the citizens of Parma, it is the green lung of the city, a destination for sports with its 3.2 km of roads and a destination for the elderly to stay in the shade of trees.
In a decentralized avenue there is also a small children's area with games and strange three wheels bikes called by locals "The Crickets" that kids from differentegenerations have ridden having fun in complete safety from traffic and close to the historic city center.
