Stage 15
Voghera > Milano
In Milan it will be all about spectacle and, most likely, a festival for the sprinters.
Voghera
In Milan it will be all about spectacle and, most likely, a festival for the sprinters. Despite the relatively short road leading to the Lombard capital, the way still provides plenty of interesting locations to check.
Voghera’s rich historical heritage begins with the Visconti Castle, built in 1372 and featuring frescoes attributed to Bramantino. In the heart of the city stands the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, begun in the 17th century, which houses a Serassi organ from 1833 and the so-called Treasures of the Cathedral: gold brocades, precious furnishings, and illuminated manuscripts. Style and elegance have always been part of Voghera’s identity: Valentino Garavani, the recently deceased fashion designer, was born here, and the refined Teatro Sociale now bears his name.
The stage initially follows the ancient Via Postumia, winding through the outer reaches of the Oltrepò Pavese, homeland of outstanding wines and an ideal area for discovering villages and castles rich in history. A mandatory stop is Stradella, whose important past is symbolized above all by its soaring Civic Tower. But no visit is complete without the Accordion Museum, which traces the evolution of the instrument from 1876 - when the first workshop in Italy opened here - to the present day.
Pavia, a little-known treasure chest of art, would require an entire day to explore properly. Essential stops include the Cathedral, crowned by the third-largest dome in Italy; the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, where numerous coronations took place over the centuries, including that of Frederick I Barbarossa; and the Basilica of San Teodoro (11th century), renowned for its magnificent 16th-century frescoes. Just outside the city stands the monumental Certosa di Pavia, built between the 14th and 15th centuries and expanded several times thereafter. It remains one of the grandest religious sites in Lombardy.
Milan
The final circuit through Milan’s streets and avenues will unfold at full speed - much like everything else in the city. To discover a lesser-known side of the capital of fashion and design, visitors can explore museums that celebrate creativity, technique, and innovation. Among them is the ADI Design Museum, inaugurated in 2021, home to the historic Compasso d’Oro collection and major temporary exhibitions. The MUDEC – Museum of Cultures also hosts important exhibitions alongside a permanent collection that tells millennia of creativity from peoples across five continents. Inside the Palazzo della Triennale, just steps from Castello Sforzesco, the Italian Design Museum presents around 1,600 objects representing Italian design from 1946 to 1981. Nearby, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of creativity in what was once the studio of Achille Castiglioni, one of the fathers of Italian design. Also not to be missed is the Archivio Gae Aulenti, housed in the architect’s own home on Via Fiori Oscuri, preserving drawings, models, design objects, and contemporary artworks collected over the years.
