As part of our ongoing media campaign and partnership with the region of Lombardy, “Every Day in Lombardy,” we reached out to Enrico Ciabatti, the current director of the Pavia Chamber of Commerce.
Over the course of a short interview, we asked him to talk about why Pavia is such a wonderful off-the-beaten-path destination in Italy today.
He was quick to point out that while cities like Milan and Brescia (two of Lombardy’s most important capitals) took centuries to emerge as important cultural hubs, Pavia was already an important European capital as early as the time of the Longobards during the 7th and 8th centuries when Pavia was the capital of the Longobard Kingdom (the Longobards, sometimes called the Lombards, were an ancient northern people who inhabited northern Italy after the fall of the Roman Empire).
By the 16th century, Pavia was such an important urban center that it was the site of one of the most important battles of the Renaissance, the Battle of Pavia (1525), when the King of France, Francis I, was captured and imprisoned by Charles V, the then emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and ruler of the Habsburg Dynasty.
The presence of such illustrious figures in Pavia during the Renaissance and beyond was part of what caused the development of art, architecture, and gastronomy there. It is no coincidence that the relics of Saint Augustine, the great Medieval theologian and philosopher, are kept in Pavia, for example (at the beautiful church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, the Church of Saint Peter in the Golden Sky).
The city abounds with historical sites, relics, works of art, and restaurants that range from taverns to Michelin-starred white tablecloth dining experiences.
Pavia is also home to the largest community of rice growers in Italy and it’s where the coveted Carnaroli grain, considered by many chefs to be the best rice for risotto. Pavia is also renowned for its production of goose charcuterie, including its famous goose salami.
Beyond Pavia’s rich gastronomic history and culture, Enrico also highly recommended a tour of the Oltrepò Pavese wine country, where some of Italy’s best — some would say the absolute best — Pinot Noir is grown. The area is also known for its sparkling wine production.
While planning your trip, he recommended consulting the following website: Visit Pavia.
The site is completely bilingual and offers a number of resources for trip planning and destination ideas.
Stay tuned: In a few weeks, we’ll be previewing celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Pavia, which will include an epic-scale reenactment as well.
