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00 Pizzighettone
Stemma di Pizzighettone

Lombardy · Cremona

Pizzighettone

A walled town on the Adda below Cremona, where Francis I of France was held for fifty days in the Torre del Guado after Pavia.

Best time
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
By car
1 h 5 min from Parma
By train
Station in the comune
Population
6,259

Known for

  • THE WALLS

    Two km of 16th-century fortifications and a Casematte tunnel network, among the best-preserved in Lombardy.

  • FRANCIS I

    The French king held in the Torre del Guado for fifty days in 1525 after his defeat by Charles V at Pavia.

  • ADDA SPLIT

    The Adda divides the town into Pizzighettone east and Gera west, joined by a single bridge.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

  • J7°
  • F12°
  • M15°
  • A19°
  • M23°
  • J28°
  • J31°
  • A31°
  • S26°
  • O20°
  • N12°
  • D7°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Bassiano di Lodi, 19 January

Why come

Pizzighettone sits on the river Adda in the Po valley, half an hour west of Cremona and an hour southeast of Milan. The Adda cuts the town in two: Pizzighettone proper on the east bank, the smaller Gera on the west, joined by a single bridge. The 16th-century walls run two kilometres around the historic centre, twelve metres tall and three and a half thick, and they hold a network of guardhouses called Casematte that visitors can walk through with a guide.

The Torre del Guado, part of the older Rocca fortress, held the captured King Francis I of France for roughly fifty days in 1525 after his defeat at Pavia, before the Spanish transferred him to Madrid. Most of the medieval Rocca was demolished after Italian unification; the tower is one of two that survived. The Bandiera Arancione recognises the walls and the colourful interior of the Chiesa di San Bassiano in Gera.

The Sunday letter

Pizzighettone is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Pizzighettone comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Pizzighettone in our articles

How to get there

From Milan (BGY), about 1 hour by car.

Verona (VRN) is about 1h 44m away.

By car from the centre of Parma 1 hour or Brescia 1 hour.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Coming from Milan, Verona or Bologna?

Coming by train into Parma? Pizzighettone is about 1 hour away by road.

Every town within reach of Milan airport.

Pizzighettone, photo 1
Pizzighettone, photo 2

What to see

  • Mura e Casematte

    16th-century walls, two km long, twelve m tall, with a network of vaulted Casematte guardhouses open to visits.

  • Torre del Guado

    Surviving tower of the Rocca, where Francis I of France was imprisoned in 1525 after his capture at the Battle of Pavia.

  • Chiesa di San Bassiano

    Parish church in the Gera quarter, known for its richly painted interior, claimed locally as the most colourful church in Italy.

  • Ponte sull'Adda

    Single bridge over the Adda joining Pizzighettone east and Gera west, with views back along the walls.

  • Resti della Rocca

    Foundations and surviving towers of the medieval fortress demolished after Italian unification.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Pizzighettone fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Da GiacomoRistorante

    Da Giacomo holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

  • Fasulìn de l'öc cun le cùdeghefood festival

    usually held across October and November. sagritaly.com

Living here

  • Population 6,259
  • Commuter belti
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Milan, 1 h 7 min drive
  • Regional capital Milano, 1 h 7 min drive

Common questions

What is Pizzighettone known for?
Pizzighettone is a walled town on the Adda below Cremona, where Francis I of France was held for fifty days in the Torre del Guado after Pavia.
Where is Pizzighettone?
Pizzighettone is a comune in the province of Cremona, in Lombardy, at 46 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Pizzighettone?
Milan (BGY), about 1 hour by car.
Can you get to Pizzighettone without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Parma to Pizzighettone?
About 1 hour by car.
When is the best time to visit Pizzighettone?
Best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Pizzighettone?
Yes. Fasulìn de l'öc cun le cùdeghe. October is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Pizzighettone?
Soncino, Busseto and Montagnana.
How many people live in Pizzighettone?
6,259 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 46 m
  • Population: 6,259
  • Surface area: 32.06 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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