{"id":32373,"date":"2021-09-12T15:02:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-12T13:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/?post_type=destination&p=32373"},"modified":"2026-09-30T22:12:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:12:32","slug":"pavia","status":"publish","type":"destination","link":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/en\/destination\/lombardy\/pavia\/","title":{"rendered":"Pavia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Pavia,<\/a><\/strong><\/span>Pavia<\/strong> 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<\/em> is the specialty.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Before its conquest by Charlemagne, Pavia<\/strong> was the capital of the Lombards. Later, it struggled for a long time for its independence until the <\/span>Visconti<\/span><\/strong> of <\/span>Milan<\/span><\/strong> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monuments of Pavia<\/h2>\n

Also read the in-depth article on the monuments: <\/i> What to see in Pavia<\/span><\/a>\n