치뇰로 포 최고의 사이클링 경로

The patronage of this shrine, dedicated to the Madonna, refers to the town of Loreto. This is one of the great and important Marian pilgrimage sites in Europe, along with Lourdes in the French Pyrenees and Fatima in Portugal. Unlike the other two places mentioned, however, Loreto is not known for apparitions of the Mother of God. Here, pilgrims can find something very tangible: Mary's childhood home in Nazareth (Israel). Her parents—not mentioned by name in the biblical writings of the New Testament—are mentioned in apocryphal traditions: Saint Anne and Saint Joachim are thus the grandparents of Jesus Christ (their common feast day in the calendar of saints is July 26). Crusaders likely dismantled the venerated building in Nazareth and brought it to Europe when the era of the Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land came to an end towards the end of the 13th century. But this very sober assumption is countered by a much more interesting legend: According to this, four angels carried out the translation and flew the house over the Mediterranean.

The dam is now paved and very easy to drive on. Only a bridge is still missing a little further west, so there's a detour through the town.

An idyllic spot for a rest and a picnic! We soak up the peace and quiet. From here, it's supposedly possible to take a boat across, just as pilgrims did in the Middle Ages. It's probably busier here in the summer.

This palace is called the "Versailles" of Lombardy. Everything is locked. According to the sign, it can be visited by appointment. The grounds are vast.

I don't know when they will be finished but a cycle bridge is being planned downstream from the road bridge and it will avoid the stretch of SS 234, to date (March 2025) the foundations have been laid on both banks then we'll see...

Chignolo Po Castle

On gravel we followed dirt roads along waterways and cycle paths as much as possible, but you can get there faster with a road bike.

We left Gorgonzola in the direction of the Chignolo Po Castle, one of the sumptuous country residences of Lombardy, and after about three hours we arrived at our destination... discovering that the Castle was closed... no big deal we took pictures from the outside. Its oldest part is the tower, built as a garrison on the Po and on the connecting routes between northern Europe and Italy. The Castle, built in the thirteenth century, was transformed into a princely palace in the eighteenth century, through an imaginative stylistic reworking of the building. It appears as a majestic terracotta construction, surmounted by a protruding gallery supported by stone brackets. Each window is framed in white. The most spectacular element is the central tower, square and with battlements, embellished with a small loggia. Inside you can admire the apartments in which Pope Clement XI, Napoleon Bonaparte and Francis I of Austria were hosted, as well as the sumptuous ballroom on whose ceiling the glory of the four seasons is painted. The Castle is also home to the Museum of the History of Lombard Agricultural Civilization, created with the intent of bringing together the many historical realities that have formed the foundation of the agricultural activities of the lower Po Valley and the Lombard Wine Museum. The visit route aims to admire the monumental complex of the Castle of Chignolo Po and to enhance the history of its centuries-old royal fiefdom and its position along the Via Francigena. The visits are only guided as the Castle is a private residence. Nice trip!