Vigevano – the impeccable beauty of the Renaissance. Shoe Museum.
Vigevano is a small town in the province of Pavia in Lombardy, which has preserved a huge number of historical and cultural monuments while being an industrial centre. It is located in the heart of the area known as Lomellina, a huge rice-growing agricultural centre. The city’s main tourist attraction is the beautiful Renaissance Piazza Ducale, one of the most beautiful squares in Italy. It was built by architect Antonio Filarete in 1492-1493 and is characterised by almost perfect proportions. The square was to be the outer court of Lodovico Sforza’s castle. It is almost entirely surrounded by arcades, which was typical of the new towns of northern Italy in the XIII century. The main street of Vigevano starts here – it begins at a graceful arched facade reminiscent of the Place des Vosges in Paris. And here stands the Baroque cathedral, the construction of which began in 1532 and was completed almost a hundred years later. Inside the cathedral you can see works by Macrino d’Alba, Bernardino Ferrari and polyptychs in the tempera technique of the Leonardo da Vinci school.
The first mention of Vigevano dates back to the 10th century, when it was a hunting lodge and a favourite holiday destination of the Lombard king Arduina. Then the town became a commune of the Ghibellines and was sacked by the Milanese in 1201 and 1275. In the XIV century Vigevano was conquered by the Visconti family. After the fall of the Visconti family, the Sforza dynasty ruled the town and turned Vigevano into a bishopric. The majestic Castello Sforzesco, built in 1492-1494 for Lodovico Maria Sforza, who was born here and turned the Visconti fortifications into a rich aristocratic residence in the Gothic-Renaissance style. Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante were guests of the castle. The ancient castle has preserved a unique covered passageway, high enough for a rider to pass through. This passage connects the new palace and the old fortifications. There is also an elegant loggia supported by 48 columns, and behind the donjon is the Ladies’ Loggia, built for Duchess Beatrice D’Este.
Vigevano is the recognised shoe capital. It is the birthplace of the famous stiletto heel, and so it is a must visit museum, the only one of its kind – the Shoe Museum. The elegant shoe of the Duchess of Lombardy is the symbol of this museum. But there are also Mussolini’s shoes, miniature shoes from China and the Turkish harem and models by famous designers.
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