Pavia Things to Do

Fortunago belongs to "I borghi più belli di Italia" (=Italy's most beautiful villages association) and deserves definitely a visit if you are in the Oltrepò Pavese area. I did not even know the name of Fortunago, but recently, I become close friend with a young lady coming from there, which initiated us to the village and to its marvellous traditional festivals. We already visited Fortunago Jammin' Festival (rock music) and La Schita, a sort of fried bread to be enjoyed either with sugar, or nutella, salt or ham, as you wish. On Aug 14th we will be there for La Paciada. I will tell you about it!
Fortunago has celtic origins and almost every building is of cabble stone. The masterpiece is the church but even without visiting it, I strongly raccomend a stroll in the village.

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Pavia's Medieval 'covered bridge' was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War but reconstructed in the 1940s.

It's worth walking down to the river to see the bridge, even though it's 'new'...some of its columns are from the old bridge.

You can see the stumps of the Medieval bridge slightly upriver. It was built in the early 1300s, on the base of a much earlier Roman bridge. In the middle of the river one of the roman granite bases is still visible, if the water is not too high.

The little chapel at the centre of the bridge holds a wooden statue of St John Nepomuk which was fished out of the river after the bombings and restored.

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San Teodoro is south-west of the Duomo, towards the river, and well worth seeking out. It's in the oldest part of Pavia, where the Roman settlement once was.

Dating from the 1100s, and still obviously ancient despite subsequent restorations, this smallish church impressed me greatly.

It has the most superb 16th century (1500s) fresco by Bernadino Lanazani showing Pavia as it was in 1522...an almost-aerial view, with the 'hundred towers' clearly shown along with all the houses and streets.

Several pillars are decorated with frescos of saints, dating to the 1200s are really rather attractive. The crypt has wonderful capitals which seemed to me to be much earlier in style than the 13th century construction date...I wonder if they were re-used from the older building?

Excavations have uncovered parts of the mosaic floors of the original church (dedicated to St Agnes, apparently, and perhaps dating from the 700-800s) on whose foundations the existing church was built. They are covered in glass and difficult to photograph but their style has a very clear Roman influence.

Definitely a place to seek out.

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I haven't been able to find a definitive number for the still-existing towers and tower 'stumps' in Pavia, though I'm certain it exists.

The town must have been astonishing when its towers were all standing...see the San Teodoro tip below for an 'aerial-view' fresco created at that time.

The 'Tre Torre', near the university, give an idea of how it once was...the three of them are so incredibly tall and so incredibly close together.

But I liked spotting the 'stumps' as well. I passed the first on my walk from the station, along Corso Cavour, but I noticed several more on my wanderings and I'm sure I must have missed others.

I know towers were a status symbol of the time in other places and countries as well (e.g. Regensburg in Germany) but I am intrigued as to why Pavia once had quite so many of them. Or perhaps I'm looking at it the wrong way round: perhaps other places once had just as many, but for some reason Pavia became particularly famous for its towers?

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San Michele is a very ancient church indeed. It is first mentioned in 682 (the existing building is not that old, of course) and, later, the kings of Northern Italy were crowned there.

The western facade is a wonderful example of Romanesque architecture, dating from the 1100s, but time, weather and pollution have smoothed away so many of the intricate sandstone carvings and sculptures that its original magnificence can now only be imagined. There has been some restoration work, but restoration is not the same as the original...to be fair, the 'new' parts are pretty obvious.

The interior has many wonderfully-carved capitals, of course, but those in the crypt seemed to me to be especially ancient in style.

There is also an ancient an beautiful mosaic in the presbytery, but I couldn't gain access when I visited. That's a good reason to go back to Pavia another time! :-)

San Michele is definitely a 'must-visit' place for those with any historical interest.

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Pavia retains far more of its Medieval buildings and street layout than I had expected to find.

As you wander and explore keep your eyes open not only for the 'stumps' of the many tower houses which once existed (and the few which still stand) but also for little glimpses of ancient buildings poking out from their more modern refurbishment. I've seen this is several places I've visited recently (not just in Italy); I like the idea of recognising a building's history by leaving some of its ancient features exposed.

Always look up, because it is at the upper levels you are most likely to see e.g. Medieval windows. Explore the narrower alleyways...you never know what you will find at the end of them.

I noticed quite a lot of blue plaques on various structures around the town...Pavia is clearly proud of its history. Although in Italian they give dates in Roman numerals, so you can see if a house dates from e.g. the 1400s.

I especially liked the area to the west of the Duomo leading down to San Teodoro and then back towards the Ticino and its covered bridge, but all of central Pavia is worth exploring.

The very Romanesque style architecture with small windows and arch vault. Built in the early XII century.
The buildings in Pavia at that time were mostly built with bricks. San Michele is an exception. Its exterior is entirely stone.

Please have time to enter the church and look up the cross on the facade from the back. Following the light coming from the cross and reflecting on the floor, you will see what people in the middle age were looking at... the cross of the light.

And the decoration of the facade and interior are MUST. I wonder why they look like some from India or Eastern culture, and some from Celt. It's interesting.

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The Certosa di Pavia is one of the most important monastery complex of Lombardy. It is located about 8 Km north of the downtown of Pavia. It was built from 1396 and you can find many masterpieces of arts.

More information on my Certosa di Pavia page.