Holiday apartment in Lodi: Sacred Art and Cycling Routes along the Adda

Those who explore Lodi encounter sacred art, medieval architectural history and river landscapes through specific churches, museums and routes. The Basilica Cattedrale is a particularly historic starting point. Construction began in autumn 1158 or spring 1159. At the entrance to the crypt is a Romanesque relief of the Last Supper from the 12th century. The three-aisled interior of the Basilica Cattedrale is divided by round arches.

Culture

The Chiesa di San Francesco is also one of Lodi’s important medieval buildings; its origins date back to 1252. The third chapel in the right aisle contains 22 panels painted by Gian Giacomo da Lodi. They depict scenes from the life of Saint Bernardine of Siena and date from 1477. In addition, the Chiesa di San Francesco preserves a particularly comprehensive overview of Lodi’s painting from the 14th century onwards.

The Chiesa di San Lorenzo is Lodi’s oldest church after the cathedral. Its apse fresco by Callisto Piazza depicts the Resurrection. The Chiesa di Sant’Agnese dates from the 14th century and was transferred to the Order of the Augustinian Conventuals in 1351. It houses Alberto Piazza’s large Galliani polyptych.

The city’s cultural profile also includes the Museo della Stampa e Stampa d’Arte Andrea Schiavi. It preserves and conveys the roots, traditions and techniques of the graphic arts as well as paper production and art printing. In the streets of Lodi’s historic old town, the Mercatino dell’Antiquariato livens up the surroundings with stalls, collectibles and objects from earlier times. It is regarded as one of the traditions particularly cherished by the people of Lodi.

Museums

The focus of the permanent exhibition at the Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra is Alberto Piazza’s rediscovered, reconstructed and restored polyptych “L’Assunzione”. The second location of the Museo Diocesano d’Arte Sacra is in the renovated 16th-century church of San Cristoforo on Via Fanfulla.

The Museo Ettore Archinti displays the original tools that Archinti used to create his works, as well as bronzes and plaster casts. These works also include “Forse è meglio che tu non veda”. In the same museum, the digitized collection of the newspaper Avanti! can be viewed on a computer.

The Museo del Tesoro dell’Incoronata is housed beneath the Tempio dell’Incoronata. It displays sacred furnishings, two illuminated codices and worked copper vessels. Since its foundation in 1996, the Piccolo Museo dei Popoli has preserved objects from Togo and Israel donated by Padre Innocente Mariconti. The museum is temporarily inaccessible; no date has been set for its reopening.

Nature

The Lodigiano lies between the Adda, Lambro and Po rivers and is bordered to the north by the Muzza-Addetta Canal. In this landscape, the Parco Ittico Paradiso is a protected area where plants and animals coexist. The Parco Adda Sud is a regional river and agricultural park. It extends along the lower course of the Adda River across areas in the Lodigiano and Cremonese regions.

Cycling routes

The cycling route from Lodi to Zelo Buon Persico passes through old farmsteads and villages worth seeing. The route from Lodi to Zelo Buon Persico offers impressive views of the Adda River and passes old mills. The Parco Adda Sud can be explored via several signposted cycling routes on paved and unpaved roads as well as existing sections of path.

Traditions

The Feast of Saint Bassianus takes place in Lodi on 19 January. During the festival, elaborately decorated votive candles are presented to the bishop in the crypt of Lodi Cathedral. The Rassegna Gastronomica del Lodigiano is regarded as the most important gastronomic and wine-related event in the Lodigiano and celebrates the authenticity and quality of local products.

Getting there

The tourist route to Lodi via the Autostrada del Sole is given as 30 km from Milan, 172 km from Bologna and 27 km from Piacenza.

Other places

Lodi, Guardamiglio, Ospedaletto Lodigiano, Montanaso Lombardo, Borghetto Lodigiano, Camairago, Sant'angelo Lodigiano, Lodi Vecchio

Cornegliano Laudense, Casalpusterlengo, Muzza Sant'angelo, Codogno, Corno Giovine, Caviaga, San Martino In Strada, Mignete

Boffalora D'adda, Tavazzano con Villavesco, Zelo Buon Persico, Bertonico, Maleo, Chiavicone

For the higher-level travel overview: Lombardy.