Pavia

Pavia is a pretty town on the edge of the Ticino, 40 km south of Milan, in the heart of the Po Valley, in a region of rice fields. Less well known than other art cities, it easily does without the tourist crowds and deserves to be discovered, particularly for its architecture and its gastronomy, of which risotto is the specialty.

Pavia is rich in an important Romanesque and medieval heritage built under the Visconti and the Sforza, including the Basilica of San Michele, the Cathedral, the medieval towers and the Visconti Castle, and above all the Certosa di Pavia, located 8 km from the town, the most remarkable building in Italy in the late Baroque style.

Before its conquest by Charlemagne, Pavia was the capital of the Lombards. Later, it struggled for a long time for its independence until the Visconti of Milan seized it in 1359.
On 24 February 1525, Charles V defeated Francis I at the Battle of Pavia. The Spanish occupied it until 1713, followed by the Austrians.

Monuments of Pavia

Also read the in-depth article on the monuments: What to see in Pavia

• The Certosa di Pavia, 8 km to the north, founded in 1396, is the most important late Gothic monument in Italy and one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings.
• The Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, a remarkable example of religious architecture of Lombard Romanesque. It was built on the site of an older church and dates back to the 11th-12th centuries.
• The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, founded in the early 6th century and rebuilt in the 12th, houses the tomb of Saint Augustine.
• The Cathedral of Pavia, of lesser interest than the preceding churches, its construction began under the Sforza in 1488 but was completed many centuries later; its octagonal dome is the third largest in Italy.
• The Visconti Castle, originally in the 14th century a hunting and leisure residence, under the lordship of Galeazzo II Visconti.
• Medieval towers. Five medieval towers remain, a legacy of the 11th and 12th centuries.
• Covered bridge and Borgo Ticino. The bridge links the town centre to the picturesque district of Borgo Ticino, crossing the Ticino, a tributary of the Po.
• Broletto and Piazza della Vittoria. The Broletto was for centuries the seat of communal power, on the pretty piazza Vittoria
• University of Pavia. Founded in 1361, it is one of the oldest in Europe.
• San Teodoro. From the late 12th century, it preserves a magnificent cycle of frescoes on the life of San Teodoro.
• The Vernavola Park, the green lung of Pavia, north of the centre.

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Map

Information

• Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org
• Tourism portals: www.visitpavia.com, www.in-lombardia.it