Voghera: Flavors and Borderland Culture

Voghera is the starting point of the Voghera–Varzi Greenway. Likely founded in Roman times as Iria, today it reflects the character of Old Piedmont—a crossroads of goods, peoples, and cultural influences where Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia, and Liguria meet.

Attentive visitors exploring Voghera—on foot or by bike—will uncover many surprises. Starting from the Velostation toward the old town, one first encounters the War Memorial, built in a transitional style between early 20th-century eclecticism and the monumental rationalism of the Fascist era.

Reaching Via Emilia, heading west leads to:

• The Teatro Sociale, opened in 1845 and once directed by a young Arturo Toscanini
• The Carlo Gallini House-Museum, home of the namesake patron, painter, and art collector
• The Church of San Rocco, housing a precious relic of the saint’s arm—he died in Voghera, while the rest of his body was taken by Venetians

At the town’s edge stands the former Cavalry Barracks, a grand military complex now housing the Ricottiana Library, the Historical Museum, and the Natural Science Museum.

Nearby is Santa Maria delle Grazie, a 12th-century church and convent with frescoes commemorating Pope Pius V, who began his Dominican journey here. The city’s ties to the cavalry are also marked by the Sacred Cavalry Shrine, located in the ancient Chiesa Rossa (Church of Sant’Ilario)—a fine Romanesque structure from the 12th century.

Heading east along Via Emilia, you’ll find:

• The Oratory of San Sebastiano, a Baroque gem with works by Borroni
• The Church of the Carmine, a Mannerist treasure completed in the 1600s

The heart of Voghera is Piazza Duomo, with the 19th-century neoclassical Town Hall and the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo Martire. Recently restored, it features a remarkable series of early 20th-century frescoes. The original Romanesque church was replaced in the 1600s with the current Greek-cross plan. Inside, admire a 14th-century Madonna del Soccorso, while the treasury preserves:

• Liturgical vestments donated by Pope Pius V
• Illuminated medieval antiphonaries
• A reliquary of the Holy Thorn, linked to Queen Theodelinda and possibly brought here by Crusaders

Gian Galeazzo Visconti, who founded the San Bovo Fair in 1382 (later known as the Ascension Fair), also left a lasting legacy. This centuries-old event—called Sensia in dialect—celebrates local De.Co. delicacies like:

• Braised meat ravioli
• Voghera mostarda (a medieval fruit preserve)
• Golden onions
• The famous Voghera pepper

Before resuming your journey along the Greenway, don’t miss Voghera Castle. Built in the 14th century and altered over time, it features fragments of frescoes—some attributed to Bramantino—depicting the muses.