Hotel Sesmones
Lodi - Cascina Sesmones - Loc. Muzza di Cornegliano L.
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A peaceful and picturesque town in Lombardy, Lodi is one of the most important art cities in the Po Valley. Lodi’s origins can be traced back to the town of Laus Pompeia, a thriving settlement that lay along the roads connecting Piacenza to Milan and Pavia to Brescia.
After being completely destroyed, the city was refounded in August 1158 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. In the thirteenth century, Lodi came under the rule of the Duchy of Milan, which not only expanded the town centre by rebuilding the city walls but also created important sites of historical interest.
Over the years, Lodi evolved from a small, charming agricultural centre into an art town that witnessed major historical events, such as the signing of the Peace of Lodi in the fifteenth century. With time, Lodi also became an important industrial and craft hub, famous especially for its dairy products.
The historic centre made Lodi an important destination rich in art and history, while the surrounding agricultural and livestock farming territories led to the city being chosen as the home of the Parco Tecnologico Padano, one of the most important research bodies in the field of agri-food biotechnology.
Lodi’s centre is neatly compact and revolves around Piazza della Vittoria, formerly known as “Piazza Maggiore”, a truly lively square featuring arcades with shops and restaurants. The square, which has retained its eighteenth-century river-stone paving, is home to Lodi’s Cathedral and the Town Hall.
The Basilica Cattedrale della Vergine Assunta, known as Lodi Cathedral, is the most important and oldest religious building in Lodi and one of Lombardy’s most renowned Romanesque churches. Its origins symbolically date back to 3 August 1158, the day the city of Lodi was founded by Frederick Barbarossa.
The terracotta façade is typically Romanesque and features a twelfth-century portico with caryatid lions and a large Renaissance rose window. The church’s interior is laid out with three naves covered by cross vaults and contains considerable works of art, including two polyptychs by Martino and Callisto Piazza. In the Cathedral’s crypt rest the remains of San Bassiano, bishop of Lodi in the fourth century and now the city’s patron saint.
Also in Piazza della Vittoria stands the Lodi Town Hall, also known as the Broletto, a building dating from the thirteenth century. The palace has been extensively modified and now features a neoclassical façade with a portico and loggia.
On either side of the portico you can admire the bust of Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, who during Roman rule granted Laus Pompeia (ancient Lodi) the status of municipium, and that of Frederick Barbarossa, founder of the new Lodi. Inside is a courtyard featuring an ancient baptismal font made from a block of pink Verona marble.
The Tempio Civico della Beata Vergine Incoronata, also known as the Santuario dell’Incoronata, is one of Lodi’s most popular sites of interest. The building was founded in 1488 by Bishop Pallavicino and designed by the architect Giovanni Battagio, a collaborator of Bramante.
The temple has an octagonal floor plan and features seven chapels with trapezoidal layouts and a main chapel. The roof is an octagonal dome in gold and blue with frescoes depicting the Triumph of Lodi’s saints. The interior is decorated with frescoes and canvases created by important Lombard artists from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
The Bridge over the Adda, also known as the Ponte di Lodi, connects the Borgo Adda district with the Revellino-Campo di Marte area. The bridge was built in the twelfth century by Frederick Barbarossa but was destroyed multiple times throughout history.
On 10 May 1796, Napoleon fought the famous Battle of the Bridge of Lodi here against the Austrian army. In 1859, the Austrians burned the bridge, which was subsequently rebuilt in terracotta with flattened arches.
Throughout Lodi you can find palaces and period residences built by noble Lodi families. Among these stands Palazzo Mozzanica, a fifteenth-century residence that has hosted illustrious figures over the years. The palace boasts a façade with a terracotta band embellished with floral wreaths and mythological figures.
Externally, the portal is adorned with medallions depicting Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Isabella of Aragon, Francesco and Bianca Maria Sforza, whilst the upper floor features fine frescoes. Other beautiful palaces in the city include Palazzo Modignani, an eighteenth-century residence that has also hosted Napoleon Bonaparte and Emperor Francis Joseph.
The Castello Visconteo was a fortress commissioned by Frederick Barbarossa in the twelfth century, though the complex underwent various expansion works over the years. Its tall and massive tower has become the city’s symbol over time. In the castle’s cellars, tunnels and galleries have been discovered that allowed the fortress to be connected to the town centre. These served both offensive and defensive purposes.
In the nineteenth century, during Austrian rule, the castle began to lose its true defensive function and many of its parts were destroyed or repurposed. The complex now houses the Lodi Police Headquarters.
The city walls of Lodi were built in the twelfth century by the architect Tinto Muso de Gata on commission from Frederick Barbarossa. At that time, walls approximately six or seven metres high were constructed with swallow-tail crenellations according to the Ghibelline tradition.
Expanded many times over the centuries, the walls lost their function during the Austrian period and later in the twentieth century due to urban expansion. Today it’s possible to admire their remains in various areas of the city, such as those near Carolina Island park. You can also still observe Porta Cremona, the only city gate that survived destruction.
The Church of San Francesco was built towards the end of the thirteenth century on the remains of an earlier religious building. The terracotta façade appears to have been left unfinished and features a marble rose window and two bifora windows. The interior has a Latin cross floor plan and boasts three naves with frescoes dating from the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries. The church also houses the remains of some of the city’s illustrious citizens, including poet Ada Negri and naturalist Agostino Bassi.
Lodi’s historic centre is not very large and is easy to navigate on foot, making it the best area to stay. You’ll find charming bed and breakfasts, hotels and apartments that are an excellent choice for those wanting to explore the city with various sites of interest within easy reach. Not far from the centre, accommodation options expand to include comfortable three and four-star hotels or stays nestled in the countryside.
Lodi is excellently positioned and easily accessible from cities such as Milan, Cremona and Pavia by both car and train. Those travelling by car from Venice or Verona should first take the A4 and then the A35 until the Romano di Lombardia exit. Travellers from Turin also need to travel along the A4 first and then the A35 until the Lodi exit. Those coming from Milan should travel along the A1 until the Lodi exit.
Those wishing to travel by train can use Lodi station, which offers connections to cities such as Milan, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Mantua and many others. The nearest airport is Milan Linate, approximately 36 km from Lodi, whilst Malpensa is around 90 km away.
What's the weather at Lodi? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Lodi for the next few days.
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