Tom`s travels: Vigevano & Abbiategrasso (06/10/2020)

The day after my trip to Lodi, I decided to do another trip, and this time head southeast to visit the city of Vigevano. After leaving the train station I headed towards the old town reaching then shortly after the city's main attraction, the Piazza Ducale. One of the most famous and most beautiful squares in Italy, it was built at the behest of Ludovico il Moro, reagent and then Duke of Milan, based on a design by Leonardo Da Vinci in just two years, between 1492 and 1494. The square is in the form of a rectangle and measures 138m by 46; it is closed on three sides by elegant porticoes and on the fourth by the Cathedral which was built in a Mannerist style during the 16th century, replacing an older structure, and completing the square in a scenic way. The Cathedral was unfortunately closed due to ongoing constructions, so I decided to turn around and admire the other side of the square with its beautiful and elegant Renaissance architecture. Once I reached the other end, I left the square through one of the streets departing from it and reached then the church of San Francesco. The church was built in 1379, but its current form is from a complete refurbishment the following century, which gave it its current late Gothic form. During the 19th century, it suffered yet another refurbishment that changed its interior in a Neo-gothic style. After the visit to the church, I then continued on and had a quick look inside the church of San Carlo, featuring a bright Baroque interior from the 18th century. Not far ahead I then passed by another large Gothic church, that of San Pietro; it was unfortunately closed so I just moved on. I then reached the other main attraction of the city, the Castello Sforzesco. Located at the center of the city on the highest point, the castle extends on an area of over 2 hectares, making it one of the largest in the country. It is made up of a series of buildings connected to each other and built around a central courtyard. As I approached the central courtyard I then decided to enter the first of the series of buildings that make up the castle complex, one of the three stables built by the ruler Galeazzo Maria Sforza. It is nowadays a small archeological museum showcasing ancient objects found beneath the ground level around the city and its countryside. From there I then continued on and passed by the main structure, which is composed of the Ducal Palace, enlarged by Ludovico il Moro with the help of the famous architect Bramante. Below the structure, I then followed a really impressive structure, the so-called Strada Coperta. This street, built in 1347, was designed to connect the castle with a fort set at the edge of town, passing over the townhouses through a covered passage. I walked its length up and down and then headed back to the castle courtyard. Here, I visited another of the three stables, this one built in 1492 by Ludovico il Moro as two stables did not seem to be enough for him. Above the stables, I then proceeded to visit the city's art museum with nice paintings mostly dating to the 19th century. Next to it is another museum, the Museo Internazionale della Calzatura, which exhibits footwear from all over the world and representative of its evolution in different historical periods. Models range from the earliest one dating to the 15th century until those from the modern era. The manufacture of footwear began to establish itself in Vigevano during the First World War, reaching its peak during the fifties when the export of tens of millions of shoes in Italy and abroad allowed the city to earn the title of "capital of footwear". After visiting the two museums, I then completed the visit of the castle complex by climbing up the main tower, the Torre del Bramante. 75m high above the Piazza Ducale, and 57 above the castle courtyard (due to the already higher height of the latter), the tower was originally built during the 12th century. It was then further elevated by Bramante at the end of the 15th century and completed with an onion-shaped baroque cupola two centuries later. From its top, I was able to have a beautiful view of the city, and particularly to admire the full size and beauty of the Piazza Ducale right below. After I was done admiring the view, I descended back to ground level and walked once more through the square, heading then towards the train station. Here I took a train in the direction of Milan but decided to stop on the way to quickly visit the town of Abbiategrasso. After getting off the train I headed on foot towards the city center, passing by the structure of the Castello Visconteo. Built by Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1381 and expanded by Filippo Maria Visconti in 1438 it was one of the main residences of the Visconti family when outside of Milan. After the Duchy, and thus the city of Abbiategrasso as well, fell into the hands of the Spanish, the castle was partly demolished, and nowadays only the central structure survives which has recently been turned into the town's public library. From the castle, I then made my way through the small but pretty center, made up of the typical Lombard houses with porticoes and warm-toned facades. Then I reached the Basilica di Santa Maria Nuova, the town's main church. Originally dating to the 14th century, it features a large porticoed courtyard from the end of the 15th century designed by Bramante. Its interior was remade in 1740 in a Baroque fashion which can still be admired today. At the other end of town, outside what were once the city walls, I then had a look at the Convento dell'Annunciata, a 15th-century convent which had been restored recently, in 2006. The complex is nowadays used for exhibitions and conferences, and I was able to walk through its nice cloister but could not access the main church as it was closed. It was then time to go, so I walked back to the train station and eventually took a ride back to Milan.