Your leisure time in Pavia

 

​PAVIA

 

Pavia is a town in south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan, on the lower Ticino river, near its confluence with the Po. The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Lombards from 568 to 774.

​

Pavia is full of beautiful landmarks, two examples are San Michele Maggiore, a monument to romanic art, the Cathedral with the equestrian statue of the Sun King in front of it and the church of San Pietro in Ciel D'Oro, resting place of philosopher Severinus Boethius.

​

Pavia is the capital of a fertile eponymous province known for agricultural products including wine, rice, cereals and dairy products. Although there are a number of industries located in the suburbs, these tend not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the town. The town is home of the ancient University of Pavia.

​

​

             What to see in Pavia

 

​

Castello Visconteo

Started to be built in 1360 under the guide of the great engineer Bernardo da Venezia, it was completed in only 50 years. It was built in square format, with four towers and a large moat that was filled by after arriving from the canal. An enormous building for a city that, at that time, had only 20.000 inhabitants, it is now the seat of the Museums of the Risorgimento and Gallic Roman.

​

​

The Cathedral "Duomo"

​

The Renaissance construction was ordered by Ludovico il Moro and his brother, the Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to the great engineers of that time. Among all the projects presented to Papa Innocenzo, the one by the architect of Pavia, Cristoforo Rocchi, was chosen; but he could not proceed since the Sforza passed the commission to the Bramante who was at his Court in Milan. Therefore, the construction is signed by Bramante. 

​

​

Certosa di Pavia

​

It was built, starting from 1396, thanks to the will of Gian Galeazzo Visconti as a family chapel. The monastery was completed in 1452 and the church in 1473 in the rich Renaissance style that made it one of the most prestigious monuments of Italian art. The facade was built later on: the lower order by the Amedeo and Mantegazza brothers, while the superior order was concluded by Lombardo in the XVI century. 

​

​

​