Pavese

<< Lombardy

The Pavese is the northeastern part of the Province of Pavia, around the provincial capital. This low-lying area is located north of the Po river and east of the Ticino river. While Pavia features several historic attractions, some landmarks can also be found in a few small towns of the Pavese.

Pavia

Pavia in a city located in southwestern Lombardy, along the Ticino river. Inhabited since ancient times, the town was founded by the Romans as Ticinum, and it was for centuries an important regional center. In 476 Odoacer captured the city, marking his last victory before marching toward Ravenna, where he deposed the last Western Roman Emperor. Pavia lived its golden age in the Early Middle Ages, when it was one of the most important cities in Italy. Between the 6th and 11th century, the town was first the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom, then the Lombard Kingdom, and finally the Kingdom of Italy, part of the Holy Roman Empire. Pavia was then a free comune, and was later conquered by Milan in the 14th century, also serving as the seat of the ruling Visconti family. The city then shared the history of the rest of the region until the unification of Italy, while remaining an important cultural and political center. Pavia now features numerous historic attractions, and it is also known as an agricultural center and for its university.

✪ Pavia Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Santo Stefano and Santa Maria Assunta

The Pavia Cathedral (Duomo di Pavia) is the largest and most important religious site in the city. The cathedral was erected starting in the 15th century to replace two previous churches, and was completed in the 20th century. The church features a large dome and it preserves the medieval crypt of one of the ancient churches. Some parts of this imposing Renaissance building were designed by Bramante, and its interiors are adorned with numerous Baroque decorations and artworks. Adjacent to the church is the Diocesan Museum of Pavia (Museo Diocesano di Pavia), which hosts various pieces of religious art and some ruins of the medieval cathedrals of the city. The church is also flanked by the ruins of the Civic Tower (Torre Civica), which suddenly collapsed in 1989 and was never rebuilt. The square in front of the cathedral houses the Regisole, a 1930s reproduction of an ancient equestrian monument of Roman or early medieval origins that was destroyed in 1796.

✪ Basilica of San Michele Maggiore

The Basilica of San Michele Maggiore is a medieval church in Pavia. Originally built in the Early Middle Ages, the current structure was erected in the 11th and 12th century. The church was the site of numerous coronations of the Kings of Italy between the 9th and 12th century. The basilica is considered one of the greatest examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture, and it features numerous medieval artworks and decorations.

✪ Old Campus of the University of Pavia

The Old Campus of the University of Pavia (Palazzo Centrale dell’Università di Pavia) is the seat of the University of Pavia, founded in 1360. The building was erected starting in the 15th century, and it was expanded several times until the 20th century. The palace houses the University History Museum of the University of Pavia (Museo per la Storia dell’Università di Pavia), a rich museum displaying the long and prestigious history of the university, with a focus on medicine and physics. The museum includes many historic instruments, including those used by physicist Alessandro Volta, who worked here as a professor. The adjacent Ospedale San Matteo, part of the complex of the Old Campus, houses the Archaeology Museum of the University of Pavia (Museo di Archeologia dell’Università di Pavia). This museum hosts a collection of ancient archaeological findings, including prehistoric, Etruscan, Greek, and Roman artifacts.

✪ Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro

The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro is a Lombard Romanesque church in Pavia founded in the 8th century and reworked in the 11th and 12th century. The church features numerous Romanesque decorations and ancient mosaics, and it hosts the tomb of Saint Augustine, located in an extremely elaborate 14th-century funerary monument. The basilica also houses the remains of Late Antique philosopher Boethius and Lombard king Liutprand.

✪ Visconti Castle of Pavia

The Visconti Castle of Pavia (Castello Visconteo di Pavia) is a medieval castle built in the 14th century. The fortress served as the main residence of the Visconti family until 1413 and it remained an important castle until the 16th century, when it was damaged during the Italian Wars. Many of its original frescoes were lost and the castle was later used as military barracks before being restored in the 20th century. The palace still houses various historic decorations and artworks and it hosts the Civic Museums of Pavia (Musei Civici di Pavia). The museum includes a large archaeological collection mostly focused on the Roman and Lombard period, and a large section dedicated to medieval and Renaissance art. Part of the complex are also the Pinacoteca Malaspina, a collection of paintings spanning several centuries, and the Museum of the Risorgimento (Museo del Risorgimento), which houses documents and memorabilia from the Italian Risorgimento.

Piazza della Vittoria

Piazza della Vittoria is a large square in the center of Pavia, surrounded by historic buildings and porticos. The southern end of the square features the Broletto, a palace erected between the 12th and 13th century, with several later additions, that served as the town hall of Pavia until 1875. Another historic palace facing Piazza della Vittoria is the Palazzo dei Diversi, dating from the 14th century.

Ponte Coperto

Ponte Coperto (“Covered Bridge”) is a bridge over the Ticino river in Pavia and one of the symbols of the city. During the Roman age, a first bridge was built here, replaced in the 14th century by a covered bridge with two defensive towers. A chapel was later added in the middle of the bridge. Damaged during World War II, the bridge was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1951. The new bridge is similar to the old one, but it is shorter and it has fewer arches.

Church of San Teodoro

The Church of San Teodoro is a church in Pavia founded in the Early Middle Ages, with the current building erected around the 12th century. The church is an example of Romanesque architecture, and it houses a rich series of 16th-century frescoes, among various other artworks, and a 12th-century mosaic.

Church of Santa Maria del Carmine

The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is a church in Pavia erected between the 14th and 15th century. Considered a great example of Lombard Gothic architecture, the church features an imposing facade and its interiors house numerous artworks and decorations. Among these is a large series of Renaissance and Baroque frescoes.

Natural History Museum of the University of Pavia

Also known as: Kosmos

The Natural History Museum of the University of Pavia (Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pavia) is one of the oldest museums of natural history in Europe, founded in 1771. The museum houses a rich collection of zoological specimens from all over the world and thousands of fossils and minerals. The same building also hosts the Camillo Golgi Museum (Museo Camillo Golgi), a museum dedicated to biologist and pathologist Camillo Golgi, who was a professor at the University of Pavia and won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906.

Towers of Pavia

During the Late Middle Ages, it was a custom for noble families in many cities in Northern Italy to build tall towers to show their power and wealth. Over the centuries, many of these towers were demolished but a few still survive in Pavia. The most prominent of these are the towers located around Piazza Leonardo da Vinci and along Via Luigi Porta.

Church of Santa Maria di Canepanova

The Church of Santa Maria di Canepanova is a Renaissance church erected in the 16th century in Pavia. The building has a central plan and an octagonal dome and it hosts numerous Baroque artworks and decorations.

Church of San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco is a Gothic church erected in Pavia in the 13th century. The building features a decorated facade, while its interiors house numerous artworks and frescoes, along with some Baroque elements. Some of the frescoes inside the church date from the Late Middle Ages.

Basilica of Santissimo Salvatore

The Basilica of Santissimo Salvatore is a church in Pavia founded in the Early Middle Ages and rebuilt during the Renaissance. The interiors of the basilica feature a series of Renaissance frescoes and artworks. The church is flanked by an ancient monastery, closed in the 18th century.

Museum of Electrical Technology

The Museum of Electrical Technology (Museo della Tecnica Elettrica) is a museum dedicated to the history of electricity and its use in technology. The museum houses numerous historic instruments, objects, inventions, and industrial machinery that span various centuries.

Certosa di Pavia

Certosa di Pavia is a town north of Pavia. The settlement is named after the historic chartehouse located here.

✪ Pavia Charterhouse

The Pavia Charterhouse (Certosa di Pavia) is a religious complex built between the 14th and 15th century at the northern end of a large hunting park that started from the Visconti Castle of Pavia. The monastery was later expanded and, after being closed and reopened various times, it is still inhabited by Carthusian monks to this day. The complex includes a large Renaissance church with an extremely elaborate facade, filled with countless reliefs, sculptures, and decorations. The interior of the church houses several artworks, including various Renaissance and Baroque paintings and funerary monuments. Besides the church, the complex also features various frescoed halls and two decorated cloisters. The Museum of the Pavia Chartehouse (Museo della Certosa di Pavia) is also hosted here, inside the halls of the former residence of the Visconti and Sforza dynasties. The museum features numerous historic paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and other artworks.

Belgioioso

Belgioioso is a small town located in the countryside east of Pavia. The center of the town is dominated by a historic castle.

Belgioioso Castle

The Belgioioso Castle is a medieval castle built over some previous fortifications during the 14th century. The castle was a hunting lodge of the Visconti family, and for centuries it was the residence of the local lords. The complex features imposing medieval walls and its interiors house various decorations and frescoed halls.

Chignolo Po

Chignolo Po is a small town located east of Pavia, best known for its historic castle.

Chignolo Po Castle

The Chignolo Po Castle is a large palace originally erected as a fortification during the Middle Ages, and transformed into a noble residence in the early 18th century. The palace features various Baroque decorations and frescoes, and it is surrounded by a park.