After the Lombard conquest, Pavia became the capital of the Kingdom of Lombardy. Subdued by Charles the Great in 773, the city became the capital of his Regnum Italicum and maintained this status until the 12th century. Pavia has boasted one of the oldest universities in Italy, founded in the Middle Ages. The famous Battle of Pavia was fought 24th February 1525 between the French and the Spanish-Imperial armies. The Spanish won as Cesar Hercolani, an Italian Condottiere, killed the horse under the French king Frances I of France who was therefore taken prisoner. Hercolani earned the title of victor of Pavia and the gratitude of Charles V of Habsburg. Hence the story of Zuppa à la Pavese – a simple soup with dry bread, eggs, cheese and butter prepared by a peasant for the newly imprisoned king – that says that the king liked it so much that it was included on the court menu and named “soupe à la pavoise”. In 1872, the fortifications were transformed into boulevards and parks. Pavia was one of the important rest stations on the Via Francigena, the pilgrimage route to Rome. Today it is the capital of the fertile province devoted mainly to agriculture, namely to wine-growing, rice-growing and cereal growing. At the age of fifteen, in 1894, Albert Einstein lived in Pavia with his family for about a year at no. 11 Via Ugo Foscolo (the Cornazzani family house). Places to visit: 1. Church of SAN PIETRO IN CIEL D'ORO – Piazza S. Pietro in Ciel D’Oro Tel +39 0382 303036 2. Church of SANTISSIMI GERVASIO E PROTASIO - Via S. Severino Boezio 25 – Tel +39 0382 26667 3. Church of SANTA MARIA DEL CARMINE – Piazza del Carmine – Tel +39 0382 26667 4. Church BASILICA DI SAN TEODORO – Piazza S. Teodoro 5. Covered Bridge / PONTE COPERTO – Corso di Strada Nuova 6. Cathedral / Duomo – Piazza del Duomo - Tel +39 0382 386511 7. Broletto Palace – Piazza della Vittoria - Tel +39 0382 22175 8. Church of SAN MICHELE – Piazza San Michele 9. Church of SAN LUCA – Corso Garibaldi 10. Church of SAN PRIMO – Piazza S. Primo 11. BOTHANICAL GARDENS (ORTO BOTANICO) – Via Antonio Scopoli - Tel +39 0382 22534 12. Church of SANTA MARIA DI CANEPANOVA – Via Ada Negri, 2 - Tel +39 0382 26002 13. THE TOWERS – Piazza S. Leonardo 14. THE UNIVERSITY – Corso di Strada Nuova - Tel +39 0382 984776 15. Church of SAN FRANCESCO – Corso Cairoli, 2 - Tel +39 0382 27710 16. Visconti Castle / Castello VISCONTEO – Piazza Castello - Tel +39 0382 20671 17. CITY Museum – Viale 11 Febbraio - Tel +39 0382 33853 18. Castle Stables – Viale 11 Febbraio - Tel +39 0382 538932