{"id":32516,"date":"2021-11-30T14:28:31","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T13:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/?post_type=destination&p=32516"},"modified":"2026-09-30T22:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:09:49","slug":"what-to-see-in-pavia","status":"publish","type":"destination","link":"https:\/\/www.bellitalie.org\/en\/destination\/lombardy\/pavia\/what-to-see-in-pavia\/","title":{"rendered":"What to See in Pavia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

See also below the <\/i> Tourist Map of Pavia<\/span><\/a>\n

1. Certosa di Pavia<\/h2>\n

\"Certosa<\/a>The Certosa di Pavia<\/strong>, located 8 km north of the center, was founded in 1396. It is the most important late Gothic monument in Italy and one of the finest buildings of the Renaissance.
Its origin dates back to the wish of Gian Galeazzo Visconti<\/strong> to erect a family mausoleum here. The construction of a monastery entrusted to the Carthusians spanned from the end of the 14th century, in the late Gothic period, to be partially completed under the Sforza<\/strong> around 1474 during the Renaissance, and finished in the early 16th century.
Its facade with the abundant Renaissance-style decoration, mixing polychrome sculptures, is striking, typical of Lombard architecture.
The Gothic interior houses the tomb of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, but also those of Ludovico Sforza il Moro and his wife Beatrice d’Este (the latter two being empty). Many works of art are preserved there, such as a polyptych by Perugino, altarpieces by Bergognone and Pinturicchio, the Madonna and Child by Guercino, etc.
The two cloisters are also remarkable, with the cells and the arcades. A museum preserves casts and works of art.<\/p>\n

2. Basilica of San Michele<\/h2>\n

The basilica San Michele Maggiore<\/strong> (Saint Michael Major<\/em> in English) is a remarkable example of Lombard Romanesque religious architecture. It was built on the site of an older church, in the 11th and 12th centuries.
It is the most beautiful religious building in the center of Pavia along with San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, which was the site of numerous coronations, including that of King of Italy of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1155.
One of its major features is the use of ochre sandstone for its decorative sculptures, instead of terracotta. Due to the friability of this stone, the rich exterior decorations have deteriorated over time.
Behind its sober and elegant facade, the interior preserves among other works a beautiful crucifix over 2 meters tall covered in silver leaf, dating from the 10th century.<\/p>\n\n\t\t