Pavia (26/07/2017)

After having left Ania at the Bergamo airport for her flight back to Hamburg, my mother and I drove towards Alessandria stopping in Pavia to visit the city. After reaching the city center, we parked the car and headed on foot. First, we passed by three very interesting medieval towers, one next to the other, now only among six remaining in a city which once hold around one hundred. Nearby we passed through the main courtyard of the university, built in the Renaissance style during the 16th century so two centuries after the foundation of the university. Later on, we walked through the city's main square, Piazza della Vittoria, sided by various buildings dating to the medieval and renaissance periods. At the southern end, stands the Cathedral, built during the 15th and 16th centuries which also had a bell tower that unfortunately collapsed in 1989 due to reasons which still haven't been certified. The next stop was the Church of San Teodoro, a Romanesque building which has a really interesting fresco in the interior showing a view of the city during the 16th century. Not far, we reached the southern end of the city center where the long river Ticino flows towards the east. Here the famous Ponte Coperto, a covered bridge which originally dated from the 14th century but was destroyed during WWII and had to be rebuilt a few years later trying to imitate the original. It is an impressive sight nonetheless and certainly gives the city and even more medieval look. Continuing on, we reached the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, a beautiful Romanesque church which was built in sandstone instead of the typical brick of the area. The chancel also featured a really interesting pavement mosaic representing the twelve months of the year and a labyrinth made during the 12th century. The final stop for the day was the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, located at the northern end of the city. Yet another great example of Romanesque architecture, it has been famous throughout history and being mentioned both by Dante and Boccaccio in their literature. Inside, in the chancel, is located a beautiful 14th-century gothic sculpture in Carrara marble named the Arch of St Augustine, which supposedly keeps the remains of the saint. From there we then headed back to the car where we continued our journey onwards towards Alessandria.

The three medieval towers

Pavia's main square, Piazza della Vittoria

The facade of San Michele Maggiore

The Ponte Coperto

The Arch of St Augustine in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro