Tourism: San Michele Maggiore, San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, the cathedral and the Certosa
Visits include the Basilica di San Michele Maggiore, where the kings of Italy were crowned, the Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro with St Augustine's Ark, the Visconti Castle with the Musei Civici, the cathedral, the Ponte Coperto and, just outside the city, the Certosa di Pavia, begun in 1396.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
- Basilica di San Michele Maggiore (piazza S. Michele): a masterpiece of Lombard Romanesque, rebuilt after the 1117 earthquake; the façade is Oltrepò sandstone, the chancel has the Re Anno mosaic with a labyrinth, and below it a three-aisle crypt. Frederick Barbarossa was crowned here in 1155. Open Monday to Saturday 8:00 to 19:00, Sunday 8:00 to 20:00.
- Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro (piazza San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro 2): an ancient church dating to the Gothic kingdom, holding St Augustine's relics under the Ark carved in 1362 and recalling Boethius's tomb. Open daily 8:30–12:00 and 15:30–19:00.
- Old town: the Castello Visconteo, home of the Musei Civici, the Renaissance cathedral with one of Italy's largest domes, and the Ponte Coperto over the Ticino, which links to Borgo Ticino.
- Colleges and university: the Museum for the History of the University holds instruments tied to Volta, Golgi and Cardano; among the historic colleges the portal cites the Borromeo, founded in the sixteenth century, and the Ghislieri.
- Certosa di Pavia (viale del Monumento 4): begun in 1396 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti as a dynastic mausoleum, with a Carrara-marble façade and two cloisters; the complex and museum are open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Monday, free on the first Sunday of the month.
Walking routes
The Via Francisca del Lucomagno, a pilgrim route that crosses the province of Varese from Switzerland, ends in Pavia, from where it continues to Rome as the Via Francigena.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Updated: 2026-10-20
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
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