The Duchy of PARMA

As the Modena Duchy, also the Parma Duchy is one of the Old Italian States of small dimensions, with about 6,300 Sqkm as surface and 500,000 inhabitants.
Its origin goes back to mid 1500, by initiative of Pope Paolo III. Through various historic events The Duchy went to the Borboni family with the Aquisgrana treaty (1748). It was, after that, under both the Spanish and the French influence, to arrive later on, with the Vienna treaty (1815), to be assigned to Maria Luigia from Austria. From 1847 after her death it came back to the Borboni. The Duke Carlo III of Borbone-Parma was elevated to the throne but he was stabbed in 1854. His successor was the son, Roberto I under the guardianship of the mother Maria Luisa Berry of Artois, because under age; she chosen a government enough liberal, relatively detached from Austria.
At the time of the first postage stamps issue (1852), the territory was divided in the provinces of Parma, Piacenza, Borgo San Donnino, of the Valditaro and of the Lunigiana (ex Tuscany territory, sold in 1844) and had only 8 Postal offices almost immediately joined by 3 others.

The events that brought to the Duchy fall are as always to be connected to the Sardinian efforts to unify Italy of the 2nd Independence War. In May 1st 1859 the Duchess was forced to leave Parma and take shelter in Mantova while the government went to a Provincial Council. Nevertheless the army, largely faithful to the Duchess, overthrew the Council allowing the Duchess to come back to power. She was successful to maintain it up to June 9th, after the Sardinia victory of Magenta. At that date the Duchess leaves definitively and freely Parma, moving in Swithzerland.
A "Commissione Provvisoria di Governo" (Provisional Government Commission), hoped anyway by Maria Luisa herself, was instituted. In June 14th the Sardinian troop enters in Parma and in date June 16th the power is given in the hands of the Count Diodato Pallieri (sent from Turin); power that he keeps up to August 8th when it moves in the Giuseppe Manfredi hands. A first plebiscite (August 21st) declares the popular desire of the annexation to the Sardinia Kingdom. At the same time the dictator Farini assumed from August 18th the territory control and together with the ex-Duchy of Modena and with the Romagne constituted from beginning December the "Regie provincie dell'Emilia".
The decline of the Borboni dynasty was stated in September 1859 by the People Assembly and a new definitive plebiscite of March 12th 1860 states the annexation to the Sardinia Kingdom.

The circulating currency was the Italian Lira composed by 100 centesimi.

Here are briefly the main postal rates for a letter of first carriage for the interior (up to 8.75 grams). The double carriage paid twice, triple three times etc.

From August 1st 1859, with the introduction of the Sardinian rates, the carriage for the letter up to 10 grams was set to 20 centesimi. From November 1859 all the adopted rates were the same as for the Sardinia Kingdom.