Pavia | Medieval Treasure on Ticino’s Banks

Pavia is one of the medieval treasures of Italy, the ancient Ticinum which had the honor of being crowned as the capital of the Lombard Kingdom, one of the provincial capitals that has been able to masterfully preserve intact its historical core developed in the Middle Ages.

?In this fascinating city on Ticino's banks next to palaces and monuments of enormous historical and artistic value, there are perfectly preserved cobbled streets and alleys, making you relive at first glance times of a distant past that seems to have stopped as if by magic.

I suggest to start the visit from the Visconti Castle, the city's icon that was the fortress of the influent Visconti family, Lords of Milan strongly linked for genealogical reasons to Pavia.

Stopping in front of this imposing structure with massive quadrangular towers symbol of power and defense, crenellated sections and ravelins, high walls of considerable thickness, you will notice the typical, architectural features in vogue in all the Sforza - Visconti strongholds.

The building dates back to 1360 at the behest of Galeazzo II Visconti and undoubtedly represents one of the great masterpieces of medieval military architecture existing in the entire Italian peninsula.

This castle is also known for anecdotes such as the "obligatory" stay of the legendary Tuscan writer Francesco Petrarca who had to stay in this fortress not as a recluse but for the event of the famous Battle of Pavia.

In this ducal stronghold the Petrarch Library was born with manuscripts and books by that illustrious man of letters now preserved in the Civic Museums of Pavia.

The Visconti Castle now houses some important museums including an archaeological exhibition , the rich Pinacoteca and the Museum of the Risorgimento.

Continuation with the beautiful Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel D'Oro, a religious building dating back to the 12th century,?a jewel of Romanesque art considered one of the treasures of Pavia in the Middle Ages, developed in bricks on a rectangular plan with three naves with apse, transept and crypt.

The structure canonically respects the inclusion of the elements in the layout of the style linked to the 1300 and it was mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy, Giovanni Boccaccio in the Decameron and Francesco Petrarca who fell in love with Pavia and this Basilica.

Visiting the interior you can admire the marble Ark of St. Augustine with the relics of the Holy Doctor decorated with bas-reliefs that narrate the life of the Bishop of Hippo that lies in the basin of the apse under a fresco of the 900 that replaced a mosaic with the Golden Ciel destroyed in 1796 by the Napoleonic troops.

The Basilica houses in the Crypt the remains of the Lombard monarch Liutrando and those of the philosopher Severinus Boethius who was killed by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric.

You can continue into the medieval core along the central artery Strada Nuova where the legendary University of Pavia stands, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Italy and in the world that had as students and professors illustrious historical figures such as Alessandro Volta and Ugo Foscolo, a Universatus Studiorum consecrated at the dawn since its foundation dating back to 1631 at the behest of Emperor Charles IV.

Developed in a building of the 1400s with today some of its sections included in the architectural complex of the San Matteo Hospital.

Behind the main courtyard of the University is the monumental Piazza Leonardo da Vinci? where three medieval towers stand and the crypt containing the remains of Sant'Eusebio. ?

Afterwards you can reach the intersection of Corso Cavour, considered the hub of Pavia's shopping, with boutiques and high fashion shops.

On its left side you have access to Piazzale della Vittoria where you will find the Broletto, a that in the Middle Ages represented the highest administrative body of the city.

The building dates back to the 12th century and contains in one of its rooms the terracotta statue of the Madonna di Piazza Grande sculpted in 1600.

This beautiful urban space was strongly desired by the Visconti Dukes to expand the area where the ancient Roman Forum of Pavia was built and where the magnificent portico that surrounds this refined square was then developed.

A short distance away is situated the magnificent Cathedral also called "Duomo" built on a Greek plan with three naves on the square of the same name dedicated to Santo Stefano Martire and Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 15th century in the place where the ancient Twin Churches stood.

This masterpiece of the Lombard Renaissance boasts an extraordinary dome that reaches a height of 97.0 meters, making it the third largest in Italy. The executor was the great architect Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, it is said with the advice of Leonardo da Vinci.

Visiting the interior you can admire valuable Baroque works by talented artists such as Cerano, Gatti, Orsolino and Giovanni Crespi.

Time for your lunch and remaining in the traditional Pavia cuisine I recommend among the first courses to choose Orange Risotto with Duck or Pasta and Beans alla Pavese, among the second courses excellent typical options are Boiled Beef with Peverat Sauce and Seasonal Vegetables or Stewed Pork Ribs with Potatoes with excellent wines of the Oltrepò Pavese as an accompaniment.

After lunch, you can continue your visit to the wonderful Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, a Romanesque treasure of? Lombardy, built between the 11th and 12th centuries.

It is an authentic masterpiece in sandstone that covers the beautiful gabled fa?ade and the capitals of the three naves on a Latin cross with sculptural reliefs representing nature, biblical stories, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic subjects and in summary the human story of the struggle between good and evil with the figure of St. Michael the Archangel against a dragon.

The Basilica was the place that saw the coronation of various kings and emperors, among which the last was Frederick Barbarossa who strongly wanted this event in the ancient Tempium Regium,? the supreme religious seat in the Lombard era.

?The visit can be concluded by reaching the Ticino river with the legendary Covered Bridge, a magnificent 14th century structure 216.0 meters long built in concrete and masonry that connects Pavia to Borgo Ticino.

This bridge, very scenic and picturesque, even seen from afar, highlights its beautiful five arches and with a hump-like profile, where the Chapel of St. John Nepocumeno, protector of floods, is also located.

Pavia has a unique beauty, a great historical and artistic heritage of enormous importance and its visit is always etched in the memories of a magnificent journey through time.

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Link : https://www.comune.pv.it/site/home.html

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