Pavia, the city of Romanesque art, aims to strengthen its image by promoting events and focusing on history, sports and slow travel.
Events organized around the Battle of Pavia
This year, to celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of the “Battle of Pavia”, the planned events will include exhibitions and guided tours aimed at enhancing the local cultural heritage, history, places of art, and local traditions. Among the events the first edition of the “Pavia Battle Run,” will be a competitive or non-competitive 13-km road race on asphalted roads which is open to all. The itinerary will wind through the most representative locations of the battle and the historic centre, finishing at the Piazza Castello. Various cycle tours are planned to discover the battle sites, including four themed routes, organized according to the different stages of the battle.
Local businesses will act as information centres
For the occasion Pavia's businesses will welcome tourists and visitors looking for information about the 500th anniversary and the programme of the celebrations. “The 500th anniversary of the Battle of Pavia,- says Angela Barbara Gregorini, councillor for tourism of the municipality of Pavia, - is an extraordinary opportunity for the city, not only to commemorate a historical event of international importance, but also to promote Pavia as a leading tourist, cultural and historical destination.” The aim is to ensure that the event also has a positive impact on the local economy, helping to revitalize trade, craftsmanship and tourism-related businesses, since the city is still little known and not included in the main tourist circuits. “A lot of visitors come to the Certosa di Pavia,- adds Gregorini, -but they don't extend their visit to the city. It would be very useful to create a direct link with the Certosa itself, to offer an even more complete itinerary, full of surprises.”
Religious routes and organized walks
Pavia also focuses on slow tourism: the city not only has a very rich and fascinating historic centre, but is also crossed by the Ticino river and 12 religious routes and it has two parks, the Ticino Park and the Vernavola Park. “We organize regular walks,- concludes the councillor, - to make this precious natural heritage better known. This is why we want to intensify the programme of walks, and there are also many cycle routes to help people to get to know the city.”
Locations where they shot “They Killed Spiderman” are popular
Recently Pavia hosted several scenes from the TV series dedicated to 883, “They Killed Spider Man.” This has not only rekindled the passion for 883, but also the curiosity of many tourists who wander around Pavia in search of some of the set locations. One more element that can surely enrich a tour of discovery of the city.
