On the outskirts of the historic centre there are Castello Visconteo, which today houses Musei Civici that preserve masterpieces by Bergognone, Antonello da Messina, Gian Domenico Tiepolo and Francesco Hayez; San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, a Romanesque building that holds the remains of Sant’Agostino; and Certosa di Pavia, a Renaissance building with the tombs of Ludovico il Moro and Beatrice d’Este.
Teatro Cesare Volta was built in the 1970s to serve as a cinema and theatre in a suburban working-class district of Pavia, in Piazzale Salvo d’Acquisto; its characteristic green cubic structure earned it the nickname of “Cubo Verde”. The target audience of the theatre has been children and families. In 2007 the Municipality perfected the structure of the building so that it became a meeting centre for teenagers from all over the province of Pavia.
Read moreThe first public theatre in the city was built on the initiative of four representatives of some noble local families, hence the denomination of the building as “Teatro dei Quattro Cavalieri”. The project was commissioned to one of the best theatre architects and scenographers of the late Baroque era: Antonio Galli Bibiena. As the theatre passed into the hands of Pavia Municipality in the second half of the 19th century (1868), it was dedicated to the patriot from Pavia Gaetano Fraschini,
Read moreA themed itinerary to discover the historical churches in Pavia: Duomo, San Michele, San Teodoro, San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, Certosa
Read moreCertosa di Pavia, architectural, artistic and urban jewel: where it is and how to get there.
Read moreIt is the most ancient university in Lombardy and one of the most important in Europe. Galeazzo II Visconti promoted its foundation in 1361 with disciplines as law, medicine, philosophy, the liberal arts, attracting students from all over Europe. Several professors of renowned national and international fame have taught at this university, for example Lazzaro Spallanzani, Alessandro Volta, Ugo Foscolo, and Camillo Golgi.
Read moreGian Galeazzo Visconti laid the first stone of this building in 1396, which was intended as a place for worship and a cenotaph for his family. The large complex of the building is an articulated intermingling of architecture, sculpture and pictorial features as produced by the most famous artists from Lombardy in the Late-Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque ages.
Read moreAt the end of Corso Strada Nuova, Ponte Coperto connects Pavia with Borgo Ticino along the ancient Roman road towards Genoa. This covered bridge was designed in the shape we see today after World War II. When the Ticino river is low, you can still see the foundations of the pillars of the ancient Roman bridge; its medieval features are preserved at the wharves on the river banks.
Read moreBasilica di San Michele Maggiore, a masterpiece of Lombard Romanesque style from the 11th century, is among the most important and famous churches of the Po valley. It is different from other local churches in its extensive use - for both structure and decorations - of fragile ochre sandstone instead of traditional cotto tiles, and for its rich sculpted zoomorphic decorations.
Read moreVisconti Caste was built in order to promote the liberal arts and as an entertainment venue in 1360, at the beginning of the Signoria of Galeazzo II Visconti. He also devised the need to link Pavia to the nearby city of Milan via a navigable canal, which was to become the Naviglio.
Read moreThe church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, located only few metres away from the historic centre and from Visconti Castle, was built in the Lombard age and subsequently rebuilt in Romanesque style. Tradition recounts that the church was founded by Liutprand, a Lombard king, to preserve the remains of Saint Augustine, moved here from Sardinia in the 8th century; the king yet more likely housed the precious relic in a pre-existing religious building.
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