• Lifestyle
    • Art & Culture

Lodi in a weekend

Sky, nature and relaxation. The touch of Renzo Piano and many little art treasures. Discover Lodi and its surroundings in 48 hours

Lodi is a hidden gem set among the farmlands, plains and forests located on either side of the River Adda. It is a city whose past goes by the name of Federico Barbarossa and whose present bears the hand of one Renzo Piano. 

The Holy Roman Emperor refounded Lodi in 1158 after it had been razed to the ground by the Milanese, while it was the renowned architect who designed the headquarters of the Banca Popolare to be a public space featuring an auditorium and covered plaza. What’s more, there are many Art Nouveau influences in Lodi. And as you walk through the streets of the centre, hunting for 20th-century-style facades, balconies and piazza railings, you end up discovering a city within the city.

A glance towards the heavens. Demanded by the citizens of Lodi in 1487 to celebrate a miracle, the Tempio Civico di Santa Maria Incoronata is the city’s distinguishing landmark, featuring an octagonal brick structure designed by Battaggio, protégé of Bramante. Inside, gold work and frescoes stand alongside panel paintings and marble, while a Renaissance chest contains works dating from between the 1400s and 1800s, including some by Bergognone.

Festival time. International exhibitions, video screenings, great artists. This is the “Festival della Fotografia Etica”, which is set to take over the city in October. Meanwhile, there’s another foodie event in the shape of the “Rassegna Gastronomica del Lodigiano”, running between October and December. The city’s restaurants will be a buzz of activities, with special menus created just for the festival – expect pumpkin and chestnuts to feature heavily! In September, the Piazza della Vittoria will fill with local flavours and fragrances. Watch out for gastronomic gems such as Panerone cheese and ostrich salami at “Le Forme del Gusto”.

In pursuit of relaxation. Lodi is at its most relaxing along the banks of the Adda. It might be a quick stroll through the nearby Foresta di Pianura, or perhaps a cruise along the river itself in search of marsh harriers, with the medieval Pizzighettone tower your final destination. With over 200 kilometres of cycle paths crisscrossing the water, the River Adda is just waiting to be discovered.

Art Nouveau, a Renaissance temple, the great festivals, the arcades of the square, the Adda River: five different roads that lead to Lodi

On the same topic

Historic windows, a memory of Lombardy's expertise

Historic shops selling hats and flowers, pastry shops, trattorias and workers' cooperatives, shops selling musical instruments, butchers and printers.
  • Lifestyle
Historic windows, a memory of Lombardy's expertise

Lodi in a weekend

Sky, nature and relaxation. The touch of Renzo Piano and many little art treasures. Discover Lodi and its surroundings in 48 hours
  • Lifestyle
Lodi

10 good reasons to visit Lodi

  • Lifestyle
10 good reasons to visit Lodi

9 October top events in Lombardy

  • Lifestyle
9 October top events in Lombardy

November in Lombardy: 6 events for the weekend

From Banksy to the first Christmas events. What’s on in Lombardy from 16 to 30 November
  • Lifestyle
Eventi Novembre in Lombardia

Picnic time in Lombardy

Sunshine, warmth, green grass and a delicious spread: it's the perfect time for a picnic in Lombardy
  • Lifestyle
Picnic time in Lombardy

Seven things to do at Christmas in Lombardy

  • Lifestyle
Seven things to do at Christmas in Lombardy

Table art, Lodi’s majolicas

A thousand-year tradition handed down by the Romans
  • Lifestyle
Lodi’s majolicas, art ceramic in Lombardy

September in Lombardy

Concerts, sports competitions, major exhibitions, culinary events. Discover September’s unmissable events in Lombardy.
  • Lifestyle
Settembre in Lombardia

Summer at the park

Swimming pools, attractions, shows, adventure, sport: enjoy summer in Lombardy’s most beautiful amusement parks
  • Lifestyle
Summer at the park