6Piazza Ducale Vigevano, Pavia
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Some call it “the living room of Italy”, others say that it is the most beautiful square of all in the country. It is in Vigevano, a town about 30 km from Milan in the province of Pavia. Currently the square is a very touristy place surrounded by bars and restaurants where the views are beautiful. In Italy there are many historical squares of great beauty. Many people know the Piazzas of Rome. Siena, Venice or Pisa also have beautiful monumental squares. But when he was ill, the great Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini asked to see the Piazza Ducale de Vigevano to wrap himself in his musical architecture. It is not for nothing that it is known as “the Italian Salon”. The Ducal Square was commissioned in the s. XV by Ludovico Sforza as a kind of anteroom before entering the fortress. Formerly a large staircase led from the center of the square to the entrance to the Castle, in the Bramante Tower. Donato d’Angelo Bramante was one of the architects who shaped Piazza Ducale. Who? Well, the architect who designed the St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The Ducal Square of Vigevano was one of the first Renaissance squares following the model of the Roman “Forum”. Furthermore, this elegant arcaded square inspired Leonardo Da Vinci for his sketches of the “ideal city”. All the columns have a different capital. Above each column is a medallion representing characters from the Roman and Renaissance periods. The decorative frescoes on the facades enhance the beauty of this unique space. The pavement of Piazza Ducale is made up of black and white pebbles from the Ticino River. Click the next ARROW to see the next photo!
