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In the center of Pavia lies…the Duomo!
Yes, Pavia has its own.
Not a Duomo that can match the size and beauty of Milan’s, but one that fits the small scale of Pavia.
Built on the site of two pre-existing cathedrals, Saint Stephen and Santa Maria Maria del Popolo, Pavia’s cathedral was established in 1488 with the idea of offering a new place of worship to the city. Named after Saint Stephen, construction was initiated by Cristoforo Rocchi and later, Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, but most notably, Leonardi Da Vinci’s advice was also solicited on the project.
Knowing that there were many churches in Pavia, it was the one located in Cathedral Square that I most wanted to see. As I approached the square and spied the dome of the duomo, I must admit, it was a bit disappointing. When one hears the word duomo, one expects great things, like you would see in Milan. The facade, however, has largely remained incomplete with the terracotta surface still untouched by the marble in which it was supposed to be covered. Realizing that it was built over several centuries (resulting in a number of different influences) made me even more anxious to see what was inside.
Before entering, I spotted the remains next to the cathedral, the remains of the Civic Tower (Torre Civica), built in 1330 and enlarged in 1583. After standing proudly beside the cathedral for so many hundreds of years, the tower collapsed on March 17, 1989. To the left of the duomo, the remains of the two original churches can be seen in a fenced area.
Entering the structure, we found a much larger-than-expected cathedral consisting of a design of a Greek cross, topped with a dome designed by Carlo Maciachini. It is most interesting to note that this dome, held up by uniquely styled pillars, is the third largest in size in Italy.
At first glance, the far-reaching church’s marble interior appears to be quite plain, especially in the dim natural light. It is when you begin moving around the structure’s interior that you begin to notice the immense detail and treasures that lie tucked into each unique chapel that line the church’s perimeter and discover how light and airy the cathedral actually feels. Though it is tempting to head to the center of the church and examine the immense dome, and then the illuminated presbytery, take a deep breath and give yourself the time this grand structure deserves.
The main marble altar, with its eighteenth century top, was brought from the church of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro. It draws you in with its intricately carved statues. The beautiful pulpit must be inspected thoroughly with its lifelike figures supporting the structure. It is truly amazing!
Making your way around to each of the chapels, there is much to discover in each. In St. Agnes’s chapel, there is a nineteenth century altarpiece representing a young version of the saint, lifting over her head, her symbol, the lamb. Another altarpiece, this one with the Virgin Mary, can be found in the aptly named, Virgin’s Chapel. Painted in Rome by Federico Faruffini, it depicts the Virgin with the city of Pavia at her feet. Beside the altar, there are statues of her parents Gioacchina and Anna as well as the remains of the bishop of Pavia, Damian.
In St. Peter’s Chapel, take note of the two symmetrical stones which show the saint’s coat of arms and his portrait and the cock on the left of the altarpiece which refers to St. Peter’s treason.
On the altar of St. Alessandro Sauli’s chapel, you can spy a stone urn, that holds the saint’s relics inside as well as plaster flying angels on clouds. The Chapel of the Rosary has a most interesting painting on canvas by Bernardino Gatti called Soiaro, created in 1531. Representing the Virgin of Rosary, there are stories about the Mysteries; fourteen of which must be read counterclockwise and the fifteen with the Coronation of the Virgin on the crowning tablet.
In the chapel of St. John the Baptist, a painting of the saint in the desert is flanked by statues of his parents, Elisabetta and Zaccaria. Under the altar is the body of St. Invenzio.
There are many other chapels to inspect including the Chapel of the Virgin of Caravaggio, the Chapel of Intercession, Sfondrati’s Chapel, the Crucifix’s Chapel, St. Crispino’s Chapel, St. Riccardo Pampuri’s Chapel, Trinity Chapel, St. Barnaba’s Chapel, St. Siro’s Chapel, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart and the Chapel of the Holy Family.
As you make your way around the cathedral, you will notice there are many notable figures and many past bishops, buried within and marked with engraved marble slabs. The most important person to be buried within the cathedral is St. Siro (in St. Siro’s Chapel). St. Siro is known to have been the first bishop of Pavia during the first century. According to legend, it was St. Siro who was the boy with the five loaves who appears in the Gospels. It is said that he followed St. Peter to Rome and was sent out to preach in the major cities of northern Italy.
The other most important item that should not be missed is the seventeenth century reliquary which holds the Holy Thorns which came from Christ’s crown. On Whit Sunday, an ancient mechanism allows the descent of the precious relics over a golden cloud to descend and go back up the following day.
Now that’s something I would like to see!
Exiting the cathedral and looking out onto the square, I thought of my first impression of Pavia’s duomo when I arrived. Turning back and taking another look, I realized something…
First impressions can be so deceiving.
Pavia’s duomo measures up in its own way!
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Pavia Duomo
- http://www.parrocchiadelduomopavia.it/
- Address: Piazza del Duomo, 27100 Pavia PV, Italy
- Hours: 0900-1200, 1500-1900, daily
- Admission: free
Note: Check out the Regisole (“Sun King”) monument in Cathedral Square outside the Duomo. Originally erected in Ravenna, it was moved to Pavia in the Middle Ages and stands for Pavia’s deep connection with imperial Rome.
One of the most decorative churches in Portugal, the monastery was built on the site of the church dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém on the harbor of Praia do Restelo. Monks of the military-religious Order of Christ resided here at the time and provided assistance to seafarers in transit.
The Monastery of Jerónimos is one of the most visited landmarks in Lisbon and tourists should be aware of long waits to enter…I had no idea. Fortunately, as I took my place in line, I was informed by a passerby that I could enter the Archaeological Museum next door, purchase my ticket there and skip the line. Of course, I was a bit skeptical…if I left my place in line and what I was told was inaccurate, it would be back to the end of the line again. Thankfully, they were correct. I waited for ten minutes, purchased my ticket and walked past everyone who had been in front of me and was still waiting in the warm afternoon temperatures.
You will also encounter some of the remains of important figures in Portuguese history, including presidents Teófilo Braga and Oscar Carmona, playwright, Almeida Garrett and modern poet Fernando Pessoa.
The Church of Santa Maria de Belém, in the monastery, does not need a ticket to enter and is truly the highlight of the monastery. Access to the upper level choir loft is from the monastery, so be sure not to miss it. Take in the view of the church from above before heading downstairs. Of particular interest is the crucifix, the beautiful paintings and the carved choir seating all bathed in the subtle light streaming in from the rose window.
As I entered the church’s lower lever, my senses were truly overloaded as I was not sure where to set my gaze. Entering from the side portal, I first encountered the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões which are located in the lower choir. These magnificent tombs, designed by sculptor Costa Mota can be admired from all angles and both offer extreme detail. The baptismal chapel is also located near the side doors as well as the exquisite Altar Dourado. Along the north wall are beautiful confessionals and large stained glass windows decorate the space, allowing alluring filtered light to enter.
As I walked around the church and marveled at the amazing details that decorated every niche, every column and every arch, I encountered the remains of Cardinal-King Dom Henrique and the children of Manuel I as well as the tomb of King Sebastião and the descendants of King João III.
Overall, my visited lasted just over an hour and I was touched by the artistry and grandeur of this amazing place.
The audio guide led me up the stairs and to the various parts of the theater, including the VIP room, the secret, almost-hidden Moroccan room and the main theater, the Grote Zaal.
The beautiful details throughout the building…the light fixtures, the stained glass, the woodwork…all lend to the opinion of it being considered one of the most beautiful cinemas in the world. However, not just a place of beauty, the theater in its time was considered to be revolutionary with its unique heating and ventilation system which kept an even temperature throughout the building and the state of the art Wurlitzer organ with 850 pipes that could make just about any sound, including voice.
Over time, the theater underwent many changes including one to its name when it was retitled “Tivoli” during the Second World War and began screening German made Nazi anti-semitic films. Sadly during this time, Abraham Tuschinski and most of his family were deported to Auschwitz, never to return. The theater name was changed back to Tuschinski in 1945 and used for many concerts starring big names of the day such as Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Domino. More changes came in more recent years when the theater was renovated to its original style between 1998 and 2002 and expanded to add more auditoriums. Today, the theater goes by the name Pathé Tuschinski and the Grote Zaal has a capacity of only 784, however, five additional screens can accommodate 105 to 191 more patrons each.
As I walked through this incredible, historic theater, I was moved at how much attention to detail and thought could be put into a place of business and I imagined that I would see movies more often if I could come to a place so extraordinary.
As I returned my audio guide and collected my complimentary cup of tea, I checked the time schedule and discovered that “The Greatest Showman” was playing later in the day.
A most breathtaking structure, its architecture is considered to be amongst the finest in the country. Construction began on the chapel, formerly known as the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew, in 1456, by William Sinclair, the First Earl of Caithness for worship by the Sinclair family. After the Scottish Reformation in 1560, Roman Catholic worship in the chapel ended. It was then closed to public worship until 1861, and then opened again according to the rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Circling the church, we admired and photographed the carvings on all of the chapel’s outer walls. Though some are harder to distinguish than others, it was easy to pick out a fox running off with a goose (with the farmer’s wife close behind) on the north wall and faces carved into the window arches along with animals such as a stag and a ram. The west wall shows how the chapel was originally intended to be a much bigger building with doorways, which would have led to a nave (now blocked) and other features not normally found on exterior walls (as this was not planned to be one).
Eight Nordic dragons ring the base of an ornate pillar and more than 110 carvings of pagan deities known as Green Men can be found throughout the chapel. These human faces are surrounded by greenery, often growing out of their mouths. One arch depicts figures waltzing with their future skeletons and a double humped camel and bunches of maize can be spotted, both not found in Scotland. Stories from both the New Testament and the Old Testament are illustrated as well as 213 cubes protruding from pillars and arches with patterns on them. It is speculated that these patterns may have meaning, some thinking it is a musical score. Though there is much conjecture about the carvings and their meanings, not much is known as several fires at the nearby Rosslyn Castle consumed much of the St. Clair family’s archives and documentation on the chapel.
Originally planned in a cruciform shape, the chapel stands on fourteen pillars. The three pillars at the east end of the chapel, the Journeyman Pillar, the Master Pillar and the Apprentice Pillar all date from the Georgian period. The most interesting of the three, the Apprentice Pillar has a most intriguing legend attached to it. The master mason had decided the pillar to be too difficult to carve and had departed to Italy to study with other masons. His apprentice, however, decided to carve the pillar in his absence. When the master mason returned and saw the outstanding work, he killed the apprentice with his mallet. The wounded head of the apprentice was then carved into one capital of the pillar and his weeping mother was carved into another.
Descending into the sacristy, we were aware that it is also known as the crypt, though not the actual burial vault that lies underneath the chapel where several generations of Sinclairs rest. The actual crypt was once accessible from a descending stair at the rear of the building, however, it was sealed shut many years ago. Legends have resulted from the knowledge of this sealed crypt, many believing that it was a front for a more extensive subterranean vault which may have contained the reputed Templar treasure. In 1837, when the 2nd Earl of Rosslyn passed away, his wish was to be buried in the original vault. Though searches were conducted for many days, no entrance was found and he was buried beside his wife in the Lady Chapel.
The chapel, still owned by descendants of its founder, Sir William St. Clair is now guided by a trust that oversees the site. It is this trust that forbids the photography within the building. Several books are for sale within the gift shop offering a look at the unique interior published by the trust. Though photography is banned, other tourists were also spotted sneaking photos throughout their visit. After inquiring about the organ, we were allowed to photograph the area as this was not part of the original building.
After the Prague Castle’s origins, the deteriorating castle of Vyšehrad was abandoned as a royal home. After renovations by Charles IV, new fortifications with two gates and a royal palace were added to the complex. Later, however, after the Hussite Wars, the castle was abandoned and fell into ruin. Renovations during the 17th century established it as a Baroque fortress, a training center for the Austrian Army and later incorporated the fort into the Baroque city walls around Prague.
Today, Vysehrad is a place of recreation as well as history. Czech citizens visit the grounds, which have now become a public park, for amusement, relaxation and celebration. Tourists visit to see the many architectural treasures on the site.
Marveling over the Rotunda of St. Martin, it was astonishing that this rare, Romanesque building still stands strong today. Built in the 11th century, it is one of Prague’s oldest surviving buildings. Used for gunpowder storage during the Thirty Years’ War, it is now used for religious purposes. When admiring this ancient edifice, be sure to seek out the cannonball from the Prussian rampage in 1758, which is embedded in the facade to the right of the window.
Behind the church is the Vyšehrad cemetery, the final resting place of many famous Czechs, including author Karel Capek, composers Antonín Dvorák and Bedřich Smetana and artist Alphonse Mucha as well as many other scribes and politicians.
In order to explore all of Vyšehrad, you’ll need a few hours and it helps to have a beautiful day! Bring a picnic or indulge at one of the cafés, and don’t forget to spend some time looking out over the river and the city views…sunset can be quite impressive! But, no matter what time of day you visit…just do!
