Vigevano – the impeccable beauty of the Renaissance. The Shoe Museum.
Vigevano is a small town in the province of Pavia in Lombardy, which has preserved a huge number of historical and cultural monuments and is also an industrial center. It is located in the very center of the area known as Lomellina – a huge rice-growing agricultural center. The main tourist attraction of the city is the beautiful Renaissance Piazza Ducale – one of the most beautiful in Italy. It was built according to the design of architect Antonio Filarete in 1492-1493 and features almost perfect proportions. The square was meant to be the outer courtyard of the castle of Ludovico Sforza. It is almost entirely surrounded by arcades, which was characteristic of the new towns of northern Italy in the 13th century. Here begins the main street of Vigevano – it starts at the elegant arched facade reminiscent of the Place des Vosges in Paris. And here stands the Baroque cathedral, the construction of which began in 1532 and was completed almost a hundred years later. Inside the cathedral, you can see works by Macrino d’Alba, Bernardino Ferrari, and a polyptych in tempera technique from the school of Leonardo da Vinci.
The first mentions of Vigevano date back to the 10th century when the town was a hunting residence and a favorite retreat of the Lombard king Arduin. Then the city became a Ghibelline commune and was plundered by the Milanese in 1201 and 1275. In the 14th century, Vigevano fell under the control of the Visconti family. After the fall of the Visconti family, the Sforza dynasty ruled the city, turning Vigevano into a bishopric. From this family, the majestic Castello Sforzesco has been preserved in the city, built in 1492-1494 for Ludovico Maria Sforza, who was born here and transformed the fortifications of the Visconti into a rich aristocratic residence in Gothic-Renaissance style. Guests of the castle included Leonardo da Vinci and Bramante. In the ancient castle, there is a unique covered passage, high enough for a rider to pass through. This passage connects the new palace and the old fortifications. There is also an elegant loggia supported by 48 columns, and behind the donjon is the Ladies’ Loggia, built for Duchess Beatrice d’Este.
Vigevano is recognized as the capital of footwear. It is here that the famous stiletto heel originated, and therefore it is a must to visit the museum, the only one of its kind – the Shoe Museum. The elegant shoe of the Lombard duchess is the symbol of this museum. But besides that, there are Mussolini’s shoes, miniature shoes from China and a Turkish harem, and models by famous designers.
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