A day among the old Spanish walls: trip to Pizzighettone, Italy
A city such as those depicted in the adventure film, populated by knights and princesses surrounded by mighty walls, crossed by a beautiful river with a bridge that leads under an ancient tower where nearly five centuries ago, even a prisoner held French king. The feeling of being finished in a fairytale romance increases when during our stroll through the picturesque streets of Pizzighettone discover the so-called "mad houses", not to mention the nearby Valley of the Dead Serious, which we find to be the old bed of the river Serio.
Pizzighettone is an architectural jewel, whose historic center is embraced by the Spanish walls in their appearance that we see today date back to about 1650. We begin the discovery of the "walled city" starting from Porta Nuova Cremona, near which we admire the Ravelin of semicircular shape. Continuing along the walls, accompanied by a moat fortification, we note above, the grass that grows on the walls, some cool kids engaged in a "green trail" of their own. We come so close to the first "mad houses", and find that it's built environments vaulted barrel, connected to each other. More "crazy houses" can be seen across the river, in the Township of Gera, where stands the church of St. Rocco and St. Sebastian, 1486, which houses important paintings of the Cremonese school.
Pizzighettone is the only town in the old town through the lower course of the Adda, and arriving on the banks of the river, we welcome a very pleasant environment, where you walk and the view extends from rowing boats, trees that are reflected in the river and views on the other side. The presence of the Ford was, since ancient times, the element that gave it strategic importance to the Castrum, but today the river is at the heart of the pedestrian tourism, more and more flourishing, which attracts visitors in Pizzighettone, in the Adda Park South A of the various cycle routes suggested starts from here to get to the confluence of the Adda in the Po
The city was founded on the remains of Celtic Acerrae, dating from the third century BC and disappeared with the fall of the Roman Empire. The historical memory of Pizzighettone is concentrated, as well as in its monuments, even in the Civic Museum and the Museum of Arts and Crafts once "Fiorenzo Barrels," which contains over two thousand items recovered from the walls Volunteers also promote the disturbing Museum of Prisons.
Continuing our ride, we reach the famous Torre del Guado, known as Tower, which is the only survivor of the four towers once. Here, in 1525, after the Battle of Pavia, was held prisoner the French king Francis I of Valois.
Our walk ends in the history of Pizzighettone in the heart of the city, with a visit to the parish church of St. Bassianus, built in 1158 by Lodigiani refuge here after the invasion of Lodi by the Milanese. Inside, admire works of art including a Crucifixion painted by Bernardino Campi. Opposite the church stands the Town Hall, 1479, which, with its porch contributes to the atmosphere suggestive of the square. And again here we decide to stop for dinner at Ristorante Da Giacomo. We settle in the elegant and rustic at the same time of the establishment managed by James Verdelli with chef Francesco Cremonesi, and we begin studying the menu, which offers the delicacies of the area chosen for the current season, and made even more attractive thanks to creative elaboration. Let's start with a salad of red-legged partridge with capers of Salina, a terrine of foie gras with fig coulis, char marinated with herbs and red pepper, as well as a Jerusalem artichoke pie with melted blue cheese blue sheep. After the rich continue with an appetizer of the highlights of local, marubini three broths, but also taste of corn chips "Maranello" with cheek of "pata negra" vaccinara and ravioli with buckwheat flour, ricotta goats, herbs and cream of eggplant. We note with pleasure that the menu also indicates the precise origin of various ingredients such as flour, rice and corn pasta. We follow this by a good sirloin with rosemary and juniper Scottona with pleasure and try a recipe of the seventeenth century, the boneless roast duck, stuffed. Washed down with fine wines, available by the glass, so we can taste different labels. The conclusion of our dinner is fabulous novel, thanks to the homemade desserts: sorbet grape, strawberry, green tea and ginger cream mascherpone sandy, burnt cream with citrus coulis oranges "dark" and with the bonet strawberry coulis.
Bertha Frances
FOR INFORMATION:
www.comune.Pizzighettone.cr.it
www.dagiacomo.it
Ristorante Da Giacomo
Town Hall Square, 2 Pizzighettone (CR)
0372/730260