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