• Art & Culture
    • Religious Tourism

Bernardino Campi in Pizzighettone

Frescoes in the San Bassiano Church in Pizzighettone

The frescoes of the San Bassiano Church in Pizzighettone are a wonderful element of our territorial heritage and, to describe them, we can use the words of Mr. Piazza who works for the Regional Board in Mantua.
You are immediately impressed by Pizzighettone, independently from the point you decide use to enter the village. You can pass through the bridge on the Adda river or through Marconi Square but, in any cases, you can not ignore the beauty of this little village surrounded by its walls.
Considering its position on the border and in the middle of the area of Cremona, Crema, Lodi and Piacenza, Pizzighettone has often been at the center of important historical events and in the past it was the crossroads of cultures and trade. It represented an interesting area from the artistic point of view: the main buildings, from the walls to the remains of the ancient castle, remind us about these characteristics.
Also the little church dedicate to St. Bassiano hosts several artworks which are not adequately known. Entering it you can immediately realize that on the counter-facade there is a Crucifixion painted by Bernardino Camp. There are also the oculi with the Prophets along the central nave. They have been recently restored.  
The decoration was started at the beginning of the fifth decade of the 16th Century, when the young Bernardino Campi, born on the 31st of December 1521, had recently concluded his training in Mantua: it is not a case that the Crucifixion is characterized by the elegance of the years spent in the town of Gonzaga family, where the protagonist was Giulio Romano with his group of assistants. The big dimensions of the fresco were probably decided on the influence of the previous experience of Pordenone in Cremona’s Cathedral. Mantua’s culture can be recognized also in the Prophets of the central nave who seem very similar to the Cesari painted by Tiziano for the room of Federico II Gonzaga in the Trojan flat of the Ducal Palace and which were then destroyed. The recent restoration of the Prophets in Pizzighettone allows to analyze better these characters and also to discover their names: Esdra, Malachia and Giosuè.
The perspective of the fake-oculi from which the Prophets lean out create an illusionist effect which was more impressive in the past. The transformations which took place throughout the centuries (Bernardino Campi painted also the presbytery of the Church but we do not have any tracks of that) can hamper the general overview on this cycle of frescoes which is one of the most important of the Italian entire mannerism.
If you catch the spectacular details of these paintings, you will totally enjoy your stay in Pizzighettone.

Take me here: Bernardino Campi in Pizzighettone

On the same topic

Festival of Ethical Photography

Responsible photojournalism: The Festival of Ethical Photography
  • Art & Culture
Festival della Fotografia Etica

The festival of Saint Bassianus in Lodi

Head to the centre of Lodi to celebrate the city's patron saint and discover a variety of traditions and handicrafts
  • Art & Culture
Fiera di San Bassiano_Lodi

Bergamo, Crespi d'Adda

  • Art & Culture
Villaggio Crespi d'Adda

School trips

Cremona is the ideal destination for your school trip
  • Art & Culture
School trips

Palazzo d'Arco in Mantua

Everyday life of a noble family in the 18th and 19th Century
  • Art & Culture
Palazzo d'Arco in Mantua - ph: Federica Bottoli

Cammino del Vescovado: vineyards and villages

A route in three stages to discover the Terre del Vescovado, amidst picturesque villages, charming hills and famous vineyards
  • Art & Culture
Cammino del Vescovado: vineyards and villages - credits: terredelvescovado.it

Castles and fortifications around Lake Como

Several testimonies of a past rich in history, all to discover
  • Art & Culture
@primalavaltellina.it

Out of town escapes

Some suggestions for a romantic weekend or for sport, nature, art, culture, wellness and taste.
  • Art & Culture
11 Ideas for... weekend in Lombardy

Vaprio d adda

Halfway between Bergamo and Milan it is located on the border between the two provinces marked by the river Adda, on the Milanese side
  • Art & Culture
Vaprio d'Adda

Alessandro Manzoni Itinerary

Lombardy blends nature and culture in an itinerary that will take you to the locations of his famous novel The Betrothed
  • Art & Culture
Alessandro Manzoni Itinerary

Castles Pavia

Towers, walls, ditches .. a journey between fortresses and sumptuous historic houses
  • Art & Culture
Castles Pavia

Theaters Brescia

Brescia will surprise you with the vitality of its theaters, where are staged prose, ballets and concerts
  • Art & Culture
Theaters Brescia, culture in Lombardy

Museums Monza

From the Treasure of the Cathedral to the MEMB, there are many museums where you can discover local history, art and culture
  • Art & Culture
Monza musei

Discovering the treasures of Mantua

  • Art & Culture
Discovering the treasures of Mantua

Itinerary Mincio Po Rivers

A pleasant itinerary to discover the naturalistic and architectural riches of this strip of Lombardy.
  • Art & Culture
Itinerary of Mincio and Po rivers, exploring on two wheels

Monuments Pavia

Ancient squares, historic houses, statues, religious buildings, museums ... in Pavia and its province
  • Art & Culture
Monument Pavia, what to see

5 medieval monuments in Lodi

A journey of discovery through the Middle Ages, from Borghetto Lodigiano to Lodi.
  • Art & Culture
Palazzo Rho_Borghetto Lodigiano

Welcome to Cremona!

Cremona is for everyone
  • Art & Culture
Welcome to Cremona!

The Lombard seigniories: key figures, history and places

Gonzaga, Visconti, Sforza: a journey through cities steeped in history and culture
  • Art & Culture
Gonzaga - Palazzo Ducale Mantova - ph: analisidellopera.it

Milan, a novel city

Discovering the writers of the past, between the places and the atmospheres of Milan that have inspired great masterpieces of literature
  • Art & Culture
Milan, a novel city