Located in the Po plain, close to cities such as Milan, Genoa, and Turin, Pavia is a true “hinge of routes to the north.” In the past, its geographical position determined its economic fortune and strategic and political importance. It was, indeed, the main branching point for communication routes to the north, thereby becoming a major thoroughfare for commercial passage.
Capital of the Lombard kingdom until the 12th century, it was annexed by the Duchy of Milan belonging to the Visconti family at the time it gained autonomous municipality status in 1359.
Under the Visconti, Pavia experienced its most flourishing period, becoming an intellectual, artistic, and cultural center with the founding of its university in 1361, one of the oldest in Europe.
THE CHARTERHOUSE OF PAVIA
The Charterhouse of Pavia (Certosa di Pavia), a monastery located 8 km north of the city dating back to the 14th century, is the most important monument of late Gothic architecture in Italy. The charterhouse occupied a unique position on the edge of the Visconti park north of the Castle of Pavia. Of this vast park, only the Vernavola park remains today, north of the city, which is no longer connected to the castle or the charterhouse.
The charterhouse of Pavia, built thanks to the will of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, occupies a strategic position halfway between Milan — the capital of the duchy — and Pavia — its second city — where the duke grew up and where the court was seated.
The Certosa, Gothic in style with a Latin cross plan, is composed of a nave, two aisles, a transept, a choir, and an apse, all covered with ribbed vaults. This plan is inspired, on a reduced scale, by the Milan Cathedral.
THE SURROUNDINGS
The Oltrepò Pavese is an area of the province of Pavia located south of the Po River between Emilia Romagna and Piedmont. The Oltrepò Pavese officially came into existence in 1164 when Emperor Frederick I granted the city the right to appoint consuls in the localities that form the current Province of Pavia.
The Oltrepò Pavese is a land of castles such as Castana, Decima, and Cigognola, but it is also an area where mushrooms and truffles abound.
The Lomellina. Suspended over an endless plane, the castles of Lomellina emerge from a landscape with blurred contours. Ideal for cycling and located between irrigation canals and watercourses, these are ancient villages that are also nature reserves, Lomellina being a region famous for rice cultivation.
TYPICAL PRODUCTS
Rice is thus the king of Pavia’s gastronomy! Cultivated in five different varieties according to the size and shape of the grains, it can be used not only for the famous risottos or timbales but also as a side dish for fish or frog fillets as well as in cake preparation.
Truffles, the savory goose sausage reminiscent of medieval culinary traditions, and the cake made with their fat, bison are among the typical products of the Province of Pavia. Numerous A.O.C. wines are also made in the province, including the famous Barbera, Pinot Grigio and Noir, Malvasia, and Muscat.
Among the charcuterie products, notable are: the Varzi salami — with protected designation of origin and known since the 12th century — as well as coppa, lard, cotechino, and small cacciatorini sausages.
If you are interested, The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Nice is organizing a trip to Pavia and its surroundings from July 2 to 4, 2010. You will have the opportunity to visit Vigevano, the Italian city of shoes, its Shoe House as well as the Sforza Castle. You will also visit the Visconti Castle, where poet Petrarch lived and which now houses all the city’s museums.
Download the complete program
Information and registration
Tel: 04 97 03 03 70
formation@ccinice.org
