Vigevano

Ludovico il Moro cleared houses in 1492 to create Piazza Ducale as a monumental approach to his castle, a rectangle enclosed on three sides by uniform arcades on painted facades, with Bramante involved in the design; it is among the first squares in Europe conceived as a single architectural composition. The cathedral closes the fourth side with a curved baroque facade added later to correct the axis, since the church stands at an angle to the square. The castle behind is very large, with a covered elevated passage linking it to the older rocca. From the nineteenth century Vigevano became a centre of shoe manufacturing, recorded in a local museum.

History

The castle of Vigevano is first recorded in 963, and in 1154 Emperor Frederick Barbarossa gave the town to Pavia. In 1328 it passed to Azzone Visconti and thereafter followed the fortunes of Milan, and in 1445 Filippo Maria Visconti built the church of San Pietro Martire with its Dominican convent (Wikipedia, Vigevano).

What's there

• Piazza Ducale - a uniform arcaded square of 1492 with painted facades.
• The curved cathedral front - a baroque facade built to fix a crooked axis.
• The Sforza castle - a huge complex with a covered elevated passage.
• The shoe museum - the industry that shaped the modern town.

When to go

April to October; the square is at its best in evening light. The castle keeps limited hours and closes Mondays. Winter fog is heavy on the plain.

Good to know

Much of the castle is empty or closed. The rest of the town is ordinary. Fog in winter can obscure the square entirely.

Nearby

Pavia and the Certosa lie southeast; Milan is northeast.

Key facts