Travel Stories from the Road
Visiting Pavia: A City I Keep Coming Back To
Jul
When you live in Italy long enough, certain places start to weave themselves into your life. Not always the big, flashy names- the ones that fill postcards and guidebooks, but the ones you happen upon naturally. Pavia is one of those places for me.
I’ve ended up there for all kinds of reasons over the years. Mostly to visit friends, but also just to visit when I’m in the area. It’s close enough to Milan to not be inconvenient- about a 25–30 minute train ride that’s usually smooth sailing. And every time I’m there, it strikes me how easy it would be to grow up in a town like this.
Pavia has a balance that’s hard to explain until you’re standing in it. It’s small enough to feel grounded, but it’s got enough energy that you never feel completely trapped. Maybe it’s because Milan is so close, and you can even get to Piacenza in just over an hour as well. The Università di Pavia helps to keep it feeling young and lively without turning it into one of those over-the-top college towns.
You’ve got history in abundance, along with bars and trattorie tucked into the side streets, and a general feeling that life moves here at the right speed. If it weren’t for the flying bugs (whatever they are- some kind of seasonal non-biting midges situation?), I honestly wouldn’t have much to complain about at all.
Most of my visits to Pavia are the same at their core: me, wandering, camera in hand, with no real agenda. That’s exactly how I imagined this shoot going… little did I know.
This trip to Pavia was supposed to be simple- early train, full day, shoot, easy. I woke up in Santo Stefano Lodigiano, had all my gear prepped, ready to go. Gaby and I were aiming for a long, relaxed day. We got to the station probably before 7am… and then the chaos began…. with a lot of rain.
The first train was cancelled. Then the next. Then the next. We sat there for hours, watching one cancellation after another. News reports saying there was major flooding and train cancellations everywhere. Eventually, Gaby was like, “Look, I’m going to go check on the dogs, Jack and Banksy, back at the apartment.” So I decided to grab a coffee and breakfast nearby, thinking surely the next train would go.
But no. Still cancelled. It wasn’t until something like 11am that we finally got on a train after the rain had stopped. We made it as far as Milano Rogoredo… and then our connecting train to Pavia got cancelled too. At this point we rang our friend Brad and said “man, if you don’t come get us, this isn’t happening.”
Brad being the legend he is, drove with his son 45 minutes to scoop us up. A trip that was only supposed to take about an hour and a half total turned into a full-on saga. So by the time we actually got to Pavia, it was solidly lunch time and we were running on fumes.
First stop? Lunch, obviously. We all ordered some local dishes to share, and Brad, bless him, thought that he ordered Vitello tonnato for his son- but had mistakenly ordered Tonno Vitellato. .. so yeah, when it came out as a giant slab of barely seared tuna topped with some veal sauce- let’s just say his son was like, “Nope!” . Total lost-in-translation moment. We all had a laugh and got him a simple pasta instead and called it a win.
From that point on, the day actually kicked off properly. We crammed what was supposed to be a whole-day shoot into a few hours- but man, we made it count.
We decided to B-line over to the Aula Magna – Pavia University’s principal ceremonial hall, and its picturesque columns for a few quick photos around that area.
For those curious, the university itself is one of the oldest in Italy- founded in 1361- and you feel every bit of that history walking through its courtyards. The interior of the Aula Magna is especially beautiful: soaring ceilings, heavy chandeliers, and rows of wooden desks worn smooth by centuries of students. Photographing inside is always a challenge with the mixed light, but it’s the kind of room that rewards patience.
I didn’t make it inside for this trip, but I’ll be sure to head back for some photos of the interior next time 🙂
Next, we headed to the cluster of medieval towers known as the Torri Medievali. These towers that once were prominently found around the city are no longer commonly found standing together like this. Some are leaning, some are partially ruined, but they’re all reminders that this was once a serious medieval power center.
Google ‘Medieval Pavia’ to see that it really looked like Manhattan at some point. Often referred to as the ‘City of 100 Towers’- I was surprised that the number of towers even rivaled Bologna which was quite the tower-filled city in its time as well. You won’t be disappointed. I love shooting here because the towers punch these vertical lines right into the skyline, contrasting with the low, colorful houses around them.
I grabbed a few shots looking up from the base of the Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, using the contrast of old bricks against a bright blue sky.
Speaking of bricks – Pavia is made of them. Everywhere you turn, there’s another red or brown surface, a worn wall, or a cracked column. Even newer buildings often nod to the tradition with brick façades or deep terracotta colors.
When the sun hits them just right—especially in the late afternoon—they glow like they’re lit from inside. In between, there are whole streets where the houses are painted in pale yellow, faded pink, and dusty orange.
It’s not the pastel fantasy of Cinque Terre; it’s earthier, more real. I kept finding little frames where a bright green shutter or a vine would slice across the warm backgrounds, adding just enough texture without clutter. There are definitely various pastel colors to be found, but this isn’t the primary vibe of the city 🙂
From there I wandered down and zig-zagged up, down and around Corso Strada Nuova, past the shops and caffès, and ended up in Piazza della Vittoria. It’s the main piazza—wide, open, paved with stone, and usually dotted with people moving between errands, or just enjoying a caffè in the sun.
The massive Duomo di Pavia anchors one end, all weight and presence. The dome itself, designed in part by Bramante, always reminds me a little bit of a smaller, grittier Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.
Around midday, I decided it was time for a beer.
Sometimes it’s Black Bull Pub for a pint and a quiet spot to sit outside. Other times it’s Il Broletto—right there on the piazza, perfect for people-watching.
This time, I grabbed a birra artigianale at Il Broletto, sitting back and just letting the city move around me for a while.
This time, I grabbed a birra artigianale at Il Broletto, sitting back and just letting the city move around me for a while. That’s also where Gaby sneaked a picture of me with this cool dog.
I loved it there, the kids were weaving between the tables, old couples in no rush whatsoever, and university students laughing loudly from somewhere at a nearby table. Pavia isn’t curated for tourists. It’s just… lived in. And you feel it. ( My hair sure did! )
After the beer break, I weaved my way toward the Castello Visconteo.
The old Visconti castle sits just a little way north of the center.
It’s massive but surprisingly open, huge grassy courtyards, arched walkways, and that same endless supply of weathered bricks. This time I just made my way around the exterior walking through Parco Visconteo until I happened upon a shot of the castle through a pair of unassuming trees. Click ❤️
Dinner in Pavia is easy if you know where you like to go, and for me, there are a few places I keep coming back to.
Antica Trattoria Ferrari just outside the city, is always worth the slight detour.
The last time I was there, I had ravioli di brasato so tender it practically melted when you looked at it too hard, and a local bottle of Bonarda that went down way too easily. Another one that is outside the town center is Osteria della Malora, which always hits the spot for a cozy meal
Inside town, Antica Mescita and Barricati e Stagionati Vineria con Cucina are two others I’ve circled back to more times than I can count.
Pavia does rustic cooking extremely well—thick pasta, rich sauces, hearty meats—and these places never try to overcomplicate it.
By the time we were wrapping up that day, the sun was already beginning to set.
As the sun started to slip lower, I found myself back near the Ticino, watching the light turn everything soft and gold. The bugs were definitely out by then—little flying specks catching the sun like glitter, but even that couldn’t annoy me much. Not when the whole city seemed to exhale at once, settling into the sunset.
Our last stop was the bridge, the Ponte Coperto. There’s a photo I love from right before we got into the car, with the golden hour light hitting just right.
It looks almost like something out of a forgotten storybook. Brick arches, stone pillars—all very ‘bridge,’ but the unique thing about this one is that there is a small chapel built into the middle of it. I wandered along the riverbank, taking some shots of the sides of the bridge. Across the river I couldn’t help but focus on a row of colorfully painted houses. The light was so beautiful I just kept thinking about how much it just looked like a typical and tranquil scene in the country where I’ve made my home.
That was our farewell moment. Brad ended up driving us all the way back to Santo Stefano Lodigiano.
Pavia isn’t one of those places that screams for attention. It just quietly makes a home for itself in your memory. Every time I visit, I find myself slipping into its rhythm a little more easily, a little more willingly. And every time I leave, I already know I’ll be back again.
We ended the eventful day with dinner at this totally out-of-the-way restaurant in Santo Stefano Lodigiano, a place that Italians would call “in culo,” – basically “in the middle of nowhere.” – but that’s a story for another time. If you want to read more about that one, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so you can receive an update when it’s released.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this story from my latest trip to Pavia! Are you a native, or have you visited before? What did you think? Did I help to capture and share a glimpse into Pavia’s soul? Let me know in it the comments below 🙂
What a nice post (and, of course, pictures!) I’m sorry you headbutted straight into our train disservices (it’s going to be a summer of restructuring work on many many lines…).
Since you say you visit Pavia once in a while, may I suggest going to the “Musei Civici” inside of the Castle? There are some unique art pieces and also a wooden model of the Duomo as it was meant to be that alone is worth the trip and the ticket 🙂
Thank you for taking such nice pictures and writing such nice words about my city 😉
Ciao Cristina! Thank you for your kind words – it was definitely a pleasure to write! I have not been to the Musei Civici yet – I will certainly add it to my list of things to do the next time I’m in town 🙂 I would be very interested in seeing the wooden model of the Duomo. Sounds really cool! I have another post coming soon that will be the release of my collection of art featuring Pavia. Stay tuned 🙂