Visconti Castle of Pavia

Address: Piazza Castello – 27100 Pavia
Timetables: 10AM - 5:50 PM (Tuesday - Sunday); 09 AM-1:30PM (Tuesday - Sunday / July-August - December - January)
Phone: +39 0382-399770
Fax: +39 0382 303028
Cost: Court of the Castle: Free; Museums: € 6.00 € (full price); € 4.00 (reduced ticket); € 9.00 (family ticket)
Closing days: lun

Description

Another magnificent creation can be seen in the Visconti castle.  The castle is known as one of the major centers of artistic production from the Renaissance period. The beautifully frescoed halls, such as the “Blue Room”, have seen the arrival of many illustrious guests at the time of the court, including Petrarch, Leonardo Da Vinci and Bramante.

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Galeazzo II Visconti, in the beginning of his lordship, built the Visconti Castle of Pavia, in 1360.  It was conceived as a means of hunting and recreation.  Visconti wanted to develop a great hunting park, originally extended to the Certosa di Pavia, and, in addition, a link to the nearby town of Milan through a waterway called Naviglio.

Visconti ordered the construction of a large building, with walls about 142 meters long as a form of defense.  The armory was built next to the largest library of the time and surrounded by several majestic homes. Even though building of the castle began in 1360, it was not until five years later that the castle was completely constructed.  In fact, more than a fortress, the Castle of Pavia was above all the splendid seat of a court residence, as was evident from the large mullioned windows outside.  In the second half of the fourteenth and fifteenth century, the castle was an important center of artistic production.  The proof recognized from the particular beauty of the magnificent ” Blue Room “ and the figures of the dead Christ and the saints in the original chapel on the ground floor.

After World War II in the twentieth century the Castle of Pavia was purchased and restored by the city.  It is now used as the seat of the Civic Museum, consisting of several rooms, and picture galleries.  Carried out every year are several exhibitions dedicated to famous national and international artists.  The castle also holds certain events and concerts at various times of the year, which is held in the large courtyard of the castle.

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