The city of a hundred towers
Pavia, on the Ticino river south of Milan, was the capital of the Lombard kingdom from the sixth to the eighth century and the place where the kings of Italy were crowned until the eleventh century. It was called the "city of a hundred towers", for the tower houses of its noble families; a few still stand in the centre. It is also one of the oldest university cities in Europe: the University of Pavia, officially founded in 1361, has beautiful courtyards and students such as Alessandro Volta and Camillo Golgi.
The symbol of the city is the Ponte Coperto, the covered bridge over the Ticino, with a roof and a small chapel in the middle, rebuilt after the original fourteenth century bridge was destroyed in the Second World War. Among the churches, the Romanesque San Michele Maggiore, in golden sandstone with a façade covered with sculpted monsters and animals, was the coronation church of the kings of Italy, including Frederick Barbarossa; San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro holds the tomb of St Augustine and of the philosopher Boethius. The Visconti Castle houses the civic museums.
Tip: walk along the river to the Borgo Ticino, the old fishermen's district on the other side of the bridge; try the zuppa alla pavese, broth with eggs and bread.
Where it is
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