Lodi is a city in Lombardy. It is the capital of the vast area of Lodigiano, a flat territory in the lower part of the Po of Lombardy.
The territory of Lodi is located in the
central-southern part of Lombardy, in the area known as the "lower
plain". The oldest nucleus of the city stands on the Eghezzone hill, an
approximately trapezoidal hill located on the right bank of the Adda
river. The municipal territory is crossed by the Adda and by numerous
other watercourses. Lodi is a member of the Climate Alliance network.
Background
Lodi links its origins to the destruction of Laus
Pompeia, an ancient village of the Celts Boi. Being situated on the
confluence of the roads that from Placentia (Piacenza) and from Acerrae
(Pizzighettone) led to Mediolanum (Milan), Laus was a node of primary
importance and became a thriving commercial and agricultural village. In
1111 Laus Pompeia was razed to the ground by the Milanese following a
period of siege. In 1158 the city was refounded by Emperor Frederick I
known as Barbarossa not on the ruins of Laus Pompeia (where Lodi Vecchio
stands today) but along the banks of the Adda, to allow it a position of
greater control over the territory. In the XIII century Lodi continued
to develop thanks to the protection of Federico II. Starting from 1251,
the lordships of the Vistarini, Torriani, Visconti, Fissiraga and
Vignati followed one another, until in the 14th century the County of
Lodi became dependent on the Duchy of Milan, initially under the
Visconti who had the majestic castle of Porta Regale built (1355- 1370)
and later under the Sforza who, with Francesco, expanded and
consolidated the defensive system by building two fortifications at the
ends of the bridge over the Adda. Important historical events took place
in Lodi during the Renaissance: in 1413 the antipope John XXIII and the
emperor Sigismund summoned the Council of Constance from the Lodi
cathedral. In 1454 the Italian pre-unification states signed the Peace
of Lodi, which guaranteed forty years of political stability. This also
marked one of the happiest periods in the history of Lodi from a
cultural point of view, especially under the bishopric of Carlo
Pallavicino. In later ages Lodi fell under Spanish, Austrian and French
rule. This corresponded to a period of decline and slowdown in
population growth, especially in the Spanish era, when the city was
reduced to a veritable fortress. On May 10, 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte
defeated the Austrians in the famous battle of the Lodi bridge, paving
the way for the conquest of Milan. In the second half of the 19th
century, the city began to expand outside the ancient medieval walls,
especially following the opening of the Milan-Piacenza railway line in
1861 and the establishment of the first industries (including Polenghi
Lombardo in 1870). .
Religious architecture
Duomo (Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
of the Virgin)
It is the oldest and most important monument in Lodi,
as well as one of the largest churches in the whole of Lombardy. Its
construction was symbolically undertaken on August 3, 1158, the very day
of the foundation of the city, and ended in 1284. The asymmetrical
terracotta facade is typically Romanesque, despite being characterized
by a high Gothic porch and a large Renaissance rose window; the bell
tower, built between 1538 and 1554 to a design by Callisto Piazza from
Lodi, remained unfinished for military security reasons. The interior,
with three naves covered by cross vaults, houses remarkable works of
art, including a polyptych by Callisto Piazza. The oldest part of the
building is the crypt, where the remains of the patron Saint Bassiano
are kept; in the left apse, moreover, there is a 15th century sculptural
group depicting a Lamentation over the Dead Christ.
Civic Temple
of the Crowned Blessed Virgin
Located in a characteristic very narrow
street near Piazza della Vittoria, it is considered a masterpiece of the
Lombard Renaissance and represents the most prestigious monument of the
city from an artistic point of view]. Designed in 1488 by Giovanni
Battagio, it was built at the expense of the municipality as an
expression of popular religiosity on the site of a brothel. The temple
looks like a small building with an octagonal plan, covered by a dome
with eight segments surmounted by a lantern; the pointed bell tower and
the facade were completed in later periods. The interior is embellished
with sumptuous gold decorations and houses numerous frescoes, tables and
canvases made between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 19th
century by Bergognone, the Piazza workshop and Stefano Maria Legnani;
the segments of the dome were frescoed in the 19th century by Enrico
Scuri.
Church of San Francesco
It was built between 1280 and
1307. The terracotta façade, which remained unfinished just above the
marble rose window, is characterized by a high prothyrum and two
"open-air" mullioned windows which represent the first example of an
architectural solution which spread all of northern Italy. The interior,
with three naves and a Latin cross, is decorated with numerous frescoes
dating back to the centuries between the fourteenth and eighteenth
centuries; the church also houses the remains of some illustrious
Lodigiani, including the librettist Francesco De Lemene, the poet Ada
Negri and the naturalist Agostino Bassi.
Church of San Lorenzo
It is the oldest church in Lodi after the Cathedral. Inside, with three
naves, significant works of art are preserved, including two frescoes by
Callisto Piazza. The typically Romanesque façade is characterized by two
semi-cylindrical pilasters and a rose window framed in terracotta, above
which is the aedicule with the statue of the saint.
Church of
Sant'Agnese
In Lombard Gothic style from the 14th century, it
preserves an important work of art: the Galliani Polyptych built in 1520
by Alberto Piazza. The rose window decorated with polychrome majolica is
also noteworthy. Next to the church stands the ancient convent with a
cloister punctuated by pointed arches, transformed during the 19th
century into a sumptuous residence today divided into private
apartments.
Church of San Filippo Neri
The rococo-style
building was built opposite the end of a long street, in accordance with
the scenographic taste of the time. The interior, in the shape of a
Greek cross, is completely decorated with precious frescoes dating back
to the 18th century.
Bishop's Palace
Built in the Middle Ages
and renovated during the eighteenth century by the architect Antonio
Veneroni (in collaboration with the Sartorio brothers), it is
characterized by a massive and austere structure. Noteworthy is the
courtyard with paired columns. The elegant interior has some rooms
decorated in the 18th century: the former bishop's chapel and the
frescoes by Carlo Innocenzo Carloni are worth mentioning.
Church
of Santa Maria delle Grazie
It was built between 1669 and 1743 to
house a sacred image of the Virgin, believed to be miraculous. The Greek
cross interior is completely decorated with frescoes, canvases and
stuccos; a side chapel houses the neoclassical tomb of Maria Cosway,
benefactress of the city.
Church of Santa Maria Maddalena
Located near the Adda river, in a slightly off-centre position with
respect to the heart of the medieval old town, it represents the best
example of a Baroque building in the city. Completed in the first half
of the eighteenth century with the exception of the façade, the church
is characterized by a single nave with an elliptical plan.
Church
of Santa Chiara Nuova
It is an environment of intimate dimensions
that houses notable artistic testimonies. It is located in a very narrow
street, typical of medieval Lodi. The small building consists of two
distinct buildings, one Romanesque and the other Baroque.
St
Christopher's Church
Work of the Milanese architect Pellegrino
Tibaldi and deconsecrated since 1798, in 1989 it hosted a major
exhibition dedicated to the family of painters Piazza da Lodi and in
2001 a review of the graphic work of the American artist Andy Warhol.
Former convents of San Cristoforo and San Domenico
They are used
as the headquarters of the Province of Lodi; noteworthy are the internal
cloisters.
Church of San Gualtero
In neoclassical style, it
was built in a peripheral area in 1835, on the occasion of the visit of
the Austrian emperor Ferdinand I. The building preserves the relics of
the saint from Lodi to whom it is dedicated.
Church of Saints
Bassiano and Fereolo
Built in the second half of the seventeenth
century, it houses a wooden choir with nine stalls.
Broletto Palace
Built in 1284 next to the Cathedral, after
numerous alterations it is presented in neoclassical forms, as is
evident from the portico and the upper loggia, which overlooks the hall
of the municipal council. On the two sides of the portico are the bust
of Gneo Pompeo Strabo, who attributed the title of municipium to Laus
Pompeia (on the left), and that of Federico Barbarossa, founder of Laus
Nova (on the right).
Major Hospital
The oldest nucleus of the
building dates back to the 15th century; the structure was subsequently
enlarged and transformed into a hospital. The neoclassical facade was
built at the end of the eighteenth century to a design by Giuseppe
Piermarini, the same architect of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Inside
there is a cloister with portico, loggia and terracotta decorations from
the 15th century.
Mozzanica Palace
Built in the second half of
the 15th century, it is the best example of a Lodi patrician residence.
The facade is characterized by the presence of a terracotta string
course, decorated with floral crowns and figures from marine mythology;
the portal is adorned with medallions depicting Gian Galeazzo Visconti,
Isabella of Aragon, Francesco and Bianca Maria Sforza. The upper floor
is full of frescoes. According to the historian Giovanni Agnelli,
Francis I of France stayed there during the summer of 1509.
Modignani Palace
Dating back to the 18th century, it hosted many
famous people including Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian emperor
Franz Joseph. There is a large internal courtyard which is accessed via
a wrought iron gate by Alessandro Mazzucotelli; the main floor is richly
frescoed.
Vistarini Palace
Built in the fourteenth century, it
owes its name to the influential Ghibelline family who had it built. The
structure has a Gothic style: the brick façade is embellished with
single-lancet windows decorated with terracotta frames; the portico is
characterized by pointed arches and partly frescoed vaults.
Palazzo Galeano
It is a Baroque building dating from the 17th
century, enlarged and transformed in later periods.
Palazzo
Villani
Built in the 16th century, it is characterized by a
16th-century facade with Baroque architectural elements.
Theater
at the Vineyards
It is the main theater of the city. It was
originally a church, a rectory of the order of the Humiliati; in 1570 it
passed to the Barnabite fathers who converted the building into a higher
institute of theology. After numerous changes of intended use and a
radical restructuring, in 1985 it became the seat of the theatre.
Governament Palace
It is one of the most original buildings in
the city from an architectural point of view; it is a large building
that occupies an entire block behind the town hall and overlooks Piazza
del Mercato. Built in 1929 on medieval foundations, the building
embodies different styles: in particular, the rustication of the lower
order recalls Venetian architecture. Since 1995 it has been the seat of
the Prefecture of Lodi.
Villa Brailla
Historical residence in
Art Nouveau style, it is located south-east of the city center and is
surrounded by a large public park.
Bridge over the Adda
It is
a bridge with lowered arches which, crossing the river, connects the
Borgo Adda district with Revellino-Campo di Marte. It was built in 1864
to replace the original wooden bridge where the battle of Lodi took
place, burned by the Austrian troops in 1859, during the second war of
independence.
Management center of Banca Popolare di Lodi
Designed by Renzo Piano and built near the railway station a few steps
from the historic centre, it covers over 3000 m² and represents the most
interesting building in the city from an architectural point of view
among those of the second half of the twentieth century. It has been
chosen as the setting for some commercials.
Walls of Lodi
The first defensive work of the city – already
protected on three sides by the marshes of the Adda – consisted of a
simple wooden palisade protected by a ditch in which the Molina canal
was made to flow; in this way Lodi had practically become an island. The
construction of the walls began on 3 August 1160, in the presence of
Federico Barbarossa, the bishop Alberigo Merlino and the Cremonese
architect Tinto Muso de Gata, and ended in 1211. These were at least six
or seven meters high and the battlements were swallow as the city was
Ghibelline. In the Sforza period, protection systems developed
particularly near the river, with the construction of the ravelin on the
Crema bank and the two towers at the ends of the bridge over the Adda.
In 1607, during the Spanish era, extensive bulwarks were built which
extended towards the countryside, giving the city a "starred" structure.
Having become obsolete and unusable, in the Austrian era they were
quickly demolished in the mid-eighteenth century, replaced by the ring
road. The ancient walls were largely demolished in the 20th century due
to building expansion; nowadays, traces of it remain in various parts of
the city, including the Observatory of San Vincenzo near the park of
Isola Carolina.
Visconti Castle and Tower
It is a typical
medieval fortress, largely destroyed; its tall and massive tower is one
of the best-known symbols of the city. The building cannot be visited as
it is occupied by the offices of the Lodi Police Headquarters.
Porta Cremona
It is the only remaining one of the ancient gates to
the city. Its current appearance is due to the complete renovation
carried out between 1790 and 1792 by the architect Antonio Dossena.
Victory Square
Known as «piazza Maggiore» until 1924, it
represents the heart of the city: in particular, the Cathedral and the
town hall (palazzo Broletto) overlook it. Characterized by a
quadrangular plan, it is a rare example of a square with porticos on all
four sides. This singular peculiarity, combined with the elegance of the
buildings that overlook it (very varied in color and size), makes it a
particularly suggestive place, so much so that the Italian Touring Club
included it in 2004 in the list of the most beautiful squares of Italy.
The paving of the square, in the typical Lombard «ricciato» made up of
river pebbles, dates back to 1471 or, according to some sources, to the
18th century.
Broletto square
It is a trapezoidal area, of
reduced dimensions, enclosed between the porticoes of Palazzo Broletto
and the left side of the Cathedral. In medieval times it represented the
fulcrum of the city's public life, now it is the seat of the municipal
authority. In the center is a fountain in pink Carrara marble, obtained
from the baptismal font of the Cathedral and dating back to the 14th
century. It is a pedestrian area.
Market Square
It is a
rectangular square, also paved with the typical «ricciato», overlooked
by the apse of the Cathedral, a secondary wing of Palazzo Broletto, the
Palazzo del Governo and the Palazzo Vescovile. On Saturdays and Sundays,
as per tradition, the itinerant market is held there.
Piazza
Castello
It is a rather large square, used as a pedestrian area with
the exception of the central band which is open to vehicular traffic; it
takes its name from the Castello Visconteo which overlooks it. A statue
dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II also stands out, celebrating the
unification of Italy. The plaza borders Carolina Island Park.
Hospital Square
Commonly called "Piazza San Francesco", it is sung in
some works of the poet Ada Negri. This rectangular square, also paved
with «ricciato» and used as a pedestrian area, is characterized by the
presence of the church of San Francesco and the façade of the Ospedale
Maggiore; there is also a statue depicting the scientist Paolo Gorini.
San Lorenzo square
It is a very small square, almost hidden among
a maze of narrow and winding streets typical of the medieval historic
center of Lodi; its intimate but luminous atmosphere is reminiscent of a
Venetian campiello. The square derives its name from the homonymous
church that overlooks it and is also a pedestrian area.
Corso
Rome
It originates from Piazza della Vittoria and is very popular due
to the numerous commercial activities [80]. Similarly to other streets
in the city center, it offers as its main reason of interest the
presence of Art Nouveau buildings and the suggestive internal courtyards
of stately homes.
Carolina Island Park
Located close to the historic center, in the
immediate vicinity of Piazza della Vittoria and Piazza Castello, it owes
its name to the Carolina farmhouse which in turn was christened in 1825
in honor of Carolina Augusta of Bavaria, wife of Emperor Francis I of
'Austria. The park has an area of about 50,000 m² and was built in the
mid-1950s thanks to a donation from Enrico Mattei who wanted to reward
the city in which important natural gas deposits had been discovered.
Mattei spared no expense and had essences of notable botanical interest
planted, selected near Lake Como. Since 2006 it has housed the
headquarters of the Adda Sud Park.
Federico Barbarossa Public
Gardens
They are located almost in the heart of the city centre,
along viale IV Novembre: they occupy the area which forms the leveling
of the moat in which the Molina canal flowed until the 1930s, which
between 1931 and 1937 was channeled and covered thanks to the project by
the local architect Giovanni Attilio Fugazza. However, the original
nucleus of the gardens dates back to 1835, the year of the visit to the
city by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. In the center stands the
monument to the Resistance, the work of 1967 by the sculptor Gianni
Vigorelli.
Along Adda Bonaparte
It allows you to walk near the
Adda river, in contact with the river vegetation; it was one of the
favorite places of the poet Giosuè Carducci when he visited Lodi.
Belgarden wood
It is a small naturalistic oasis located on the
banks of the Adda, on the border with the territory of Montanaso
Lombardo; numerous paths originate from the area which allow you to
visit the surrounding woods, partially transformed into a botanical
garden, where aquatic birds such as moorhens, mallards, swans, herons
and little grebes also live. During the summer it becomes a recreation
center thanks to the presence of a swimming pool managed by the
Municipality of Lodi.
Great forest of Lodi (Valley
Grassa-Coldana-Sant'Antonio forest)
It is an area of notable
naturalistic interest, created by the Province of Lodi with funding from
the Lombardy Region. Located near the town, it can be visited thanks to
the presence of cycle and pedestrian paths. It is a reforestation
carried out with native tree and shrub species, with a permanent legal
destination as a forest
Lodi links its origins to the destruction of Laus Pompeia, an ancient
village of the Celts Boi and later a Roman municipium, renamed in 89 BC.
in honor of the consul Gneo Pompeo Strabone. Being situated on the
confluence of the roads that from Placentia (Piacenza) and from Acerrae
(Pizzighettone) led to Mediolanum (Milan), and at the crossing point
with the road that from Ticinum (Pavia) continued up to Brixia
(Brescia), Laus was a node of primary importance and became a thriving
commercial and agricultural village]. After passing under the control of
the Longobards (6th-8th century) and subsequently of the Franks (8th-9th
century), on 24 May 1111 Laus Pompeia was razed to the ground by the
Milanese following a period of siege. The peace accords forbade the
rebuilding of destroyed buildings.
Almost fifty years later, on
August 3, 1158, the city was refounded by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa
not on the ruins of Laus Pompeia (where Lodi Vecchio stands today) but
along the banks of the Adda, to allow it a position of greater control
over the territory . The sovereign granted Lodi extraordinary
privileges, despite which the city grew with difficulty: in 1167 it was
forced by the Milanese to join the Lombard League and to participate in
the battle of Legnano in 1176.
In the XIII century Lodi continued
to develop thanks to the protection of Federico II. Starting from 1251,
the lordships of the Vistarini, Torriani, Visconti, Fissiraga and
Vignati followed one another, until in the 14th century the County of
Lodi became dependent on the Duchy of Milan, initially under the
Visconti who had the majestic castle of Porta Regale built (1355- 1370)
and later under the Sforza who, with Francesco, expanded and
consolidated the defensive system by building two fortifications at the
ends of the bridge over the Adda.
Important historical events
took place in Lodi during the Renaissance: in 1413 the antipope John
XXIII and the emperor Sigismund convened the Council of Constance from
the Cathedral of Lodi, which would later resolve the Western Schism. On
April 9, 1454, the Italian pre-unification states signed the Peace of
Lodi, which guaranteed forty years of political stability. This also
marked one of the happiest periods in the history of Lodi from a
cultural point of view, especially under the bishopric of Carlo
Pallavicino.
Modest prices
Burger King Lodi, Viale Pavia, 98, ☎ +39 0371
091092. Mon-Sun: 11:30-22:00. Amenities are: King Drive, Parking, Play
King, Wifi, Parties.
Average prices
1 Outside Modena, Via Mosè
Bianchi, 1, ☎ +39 0371 425062.
2 Osteria Vecchia Lodi, Via Lago di
Garda, 21, ☎ +39 0371 495373.
3 Pizzeria Armandino, Via Marsala, 94,
☎ +39 0371 423242.
4 Gaffurio Restaurant, Via Gaffurio, 11, ☎ +39
0371 426967.
5 Tre Gigli All'Incoronata, Piazza della Vittoria, 47, ☎
+39 0371 421404.
6 Latin Quarter - Tex-Mex restaurant, Via Dei Tigli
3, ☎ +39 0371 432494.
7 Trattoria Torretta, Piazza Angelo Maria
Sommariva, 4, ☎ +39 0371 413547.
8 Kentucky Western Saloon
restaurant, Viale Milano, 95, ☎ +39 366 8004707.
9 Pizzeria Fontana,
Viale Torino, 1, ☎ +39 0371 427263.
Average prices
1 Hotel restaurant Castello, Piazza Castello, 2, ☎
+39 0371 420396.
2 Albergo Anelli, Via Vignati, 7, ☎ +39 0371 421354.
3 Hotel Concorde, Piazzale della Stazione, 2, ☎ +39 0371 421322.
4
Hotel Europa, Viale Pavia, 5, ☎ +39 0371 35215.
5 Villa Laila Bed &
Breakfast, Via Agello, 6, ☎ +39 335 210830.
6 La Gallina Bed and
Breakfast, Via Lago D'Iseo, 28, ☎ +39 345 1167192.
1 Barbieri Pharmacy, Piazza Vittoria, 43, ☎ +39 0371 420004.
2
Brusoni Pharmacy, Via Grandi, 6.
3 Chioda Pharmacy, Corso Roma, 79, ☎
+39 0371 420161.
4 Municipal Pharmacy N.1, Via S. Bassiano, 39, ☎ +39
0371 410161.
5 Municipal Pharmacy N.2, Via Cavallotti, 23, ☎ +39 0371
50243.
6 Municipal Pharmacy N.3, Viale Savoia, 1, ☎ +39 0371 31587.
7 Municipal Pharmacy N.4, Viale Pavia, 9, ☎ +39 0371 34600.
8
Corbellini Pharmacy, Via Italia, 59/A, ☎ +39 0371 31493.
9 Central
Pharmacy, Via Marsala, 8, ☎ +39 0371 420067.
10 Giberti Pharmacy,
Corso Roma, 29, ☎ +39 0371-420127.
11 Manfrini Pharmacy, Piazza della
Vittoria, 6, ☎ +39 0371 420023.
Post
12 Poste Italiane, via Fascetti 1/a, ☎ +39 0371 468178.
13
Poste Italiane (Lodi 1), via Volturno 4, ☎ +39 0371 542731.
14 Poste
Italiane (Lodi 2), via Lodivecchio 7, ☎ +39 0371 412031.
15 Poste
Italiane (Lodi 3), viale Italia 65, ☎ +39 0371 431843.