• Art & Culture

Following history’s trails. Who is the Sun King?

Where
Piazza del Duomo, 27100 Pavia PV

Not just any monument is praised by great figures such as Francesco Petrarca and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Both were astonished during their respective visits to Pavia, by a sculpture that enclosed the idea of movement with such technical skill and raw expressiveness.

The former wrote about it in an epistle to his contemporary Giovanni Boccaccio, while the latter mentioned it in his diaries.

The Sun King's equestrian statue has been a city landmark for centuries and still raises several questions to this day.

The one that can be admired in front of the imposing Cathedral is a copy, and not an exact one at that, of the one hailing from Roman times, built as explained by numerous testimonies, using the lost-wax casting method.

The first Sun King was destroyed in the eighteenth century and later replaced with the current version by Francesco Messina in 1937 for the millenial celebrations of August's empire.

The monument, just as Petrarca and Da Vinci saw it, featured a bearded man riding a horse and a small dog near its raised hoof.

Perhaps it was supposed to represent an emperor such as Marcus Aurelius or Aurelian, from which the title Sun King might come and worshipped by military ruling class.

Who might this illustrious figure be? See for yourselves and reveal its secrets!

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Take me here: Following history’s trails. Who is the Sun King?

Places

Cathedral of Pavia

The most impressive church in Pavia to whose design Leonardo Da Vinci contributed
  • Religious Tourism
Cathedral of Pavia
47 mt

Church Of Saint Giovanni Domnarum

  • Art & Culture
Church Of Saint Giovanni Domnarum
170 mt

Church of Saint Teodoro - Pavia

La Chiesa fu edificata nella seconda metà del XII secolo per accogliere le spoglie di San Teodoro
  • Religious Tourism
Church of Saint Teodoro - Pavia
250 mt

University Library of Pavia

  • Art & Culture
Salone Teresiano
311 mt

Kosmos Natural History Museum

Un museo antico con collezioni scientifiche di altissimo valore, costituito a scopo didattico da Lazzaro Spallanzani nel 1771
  • Art & Culture
Kosmos Natural History Museum
341 mt

From Pavia to Abbiategrasso

  • Cycle Tourism
From Pavia to Abbiategrasso
390 mt

Basilica of San Michele Maggiore

  • Art & Culture
Basilica of San Michele Maggiore
400 mt

Ponte Coperto Bridge

  • Art & Culture
Ponte coperto di Pavia (Ph: I Mille)
420 mt

Fraschini theatre

  • Art & Culture
Teatro Fraschini Pavia
470 mt

Palazzo Bottigella Gandini

Hidden among Pavia’s historic buildings is Palazzo Bottigella-Gandini, restored and now a space for contemporary art exhibitions
  • Art & Culture
Pavia
475 mt

Church of Saint Francesco

The church of Saint Francesco in Pavia shows a clear separation between the Romanesque architecture and the late Gothic
  • Art & Culture
Church of Saint Francesco
574 mt

Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro

  • Religious Tourism
Basilica di San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro
717 mt

Archaeology museum and sala longobarda

  • Art & Culture
Archaeology Museum and Sala Longobarda
771 mt

Visconti Castle

At the start of the 20th century, Visconti Castle(PV) was acquired by the local municipality and has since been home to the civic museums
  • Art & Culture
Pavia Castello Visconteo
775 mt

The Plane Tree of the Pavia Botanical Garden

  • Active & Green
The Plane Tree of the Pavia Botanical Garden
797 mt

Botanical Gardens Pavia

Un orto storico che si trova nell’attuale sede dagli ultimi decenni del 1700
  • Parks
Botanical Gardens Pavia
797 mt

Church of Santa Maria in Betlem

The pilgrims on their journey to the East used to travel across this area, which fell within the Bishop of Bethlehem’s competence
  • Religious Tourism
Church of Santa Maria in Betlem
850 mt

Botanical gardens university of Pavia

  • Active & Green
Orto Botanico Università di Pavia, Giardini Pavia
853 mt

Church Of Saint Salvatore Pavia

San Salvatore was an ancient and powerful monastery of Pavia
  • Art & Culture
Church Of Saint Salvatore Pavia
1.13 km

Pavia University Campus

An ancient and glorious history. Alessandro Volta, Ugo Foscolo, Carlo Rubbia sat on the professorships of the University of Pavia
  • Art & Culture
Statua di Antonio Bordoni, Università di Pavia.
1.48 km

Where to sleep

LE STANZE DEL CARDINALE

Pavia
LE STANZE DEL CARDINALE
76 mt

LE STANZE DEL CARDINALE STUDIO

Pavia
LE STANZE DEL CARDINALE STUDIO
90 mt

CAVOUR 14 DI LIVING RENT SRL

Pavia
CAVOUR 14 DI LIVING RENT SRL
95 mt

CASTELLANI

Pavia
CASTELLANI
102 mt

ARNABOLDI PALACE

Pavia
ARNABOLDI PALACE
201 mt

GALLERIA ARNABOLDI MAISON D'HOTES

Pavia
GALLERIA ARNABOLDI MAISON D'HOTES
224 mt

LIVING RENT SRL - SIRO COMI

Pavia
LIVING RENT SRL - SIRO COMI
286 mt

VILLA GLORI DI LIVING RENT SRL

Pavia
VILLA GLORI DI LIVING RENT SRL
435 mt

CASA VACANZA CORSO GARIBALDI 15

Pavia
CASA VACANZA CORSO GARIBALDI 15
452 mt

RESIDENCE PAVIA SNC DI SISTI GIAN ALBERTO E C.

Pavia
RESIDENCE PAVIA SNC DI SISTI GIAN ALBERTO E C.
558 mt

CAMERECAFFE' DI FUMAGALLI LORENZA

Pavia
CAMERECAFFE' DI FUMAGALLI LORENZA
584 mt

32 BNB CAMERECAFFE' DI FUMAGALLI LORENZA

Pavia
32 BNB CAMERECAFFE' DI FUMAGALLI LORENZA
584 mt

AURORA

Pavia
AURORA
612 mt

AFFITTACAMERE MINERVA FORESTERIA LOMBARDA

Pavia
AFFITTACAMERE MINERVA FORESTERIA LOMBARDA
612 mt

MAURIZIO BARBARO FORESTERIA LOMBARDA

Pavia
MAURIZIO BARBARO FORESTERIA LOMBARDA
638 mt

MODERNO

Pavia
MODERNO
645 mt

HOTEL EXCELSIOR

Pavia
HOTEL EXCELSIOR
715 mt

FORESTERIA LOMBARDA AFFITTACAMERE EXCELSIOR PAVIA

Pavia
FORESTERIA LOMBARDA AFFITTACAMERE EXCELSIOR PAVIA
715 mt

FORESTERIA LOMBARDA AFFITTACAMERE EXCELSIOR

Pavia
FORESTERIA LOMBARDA AFFITTACAMERE EXCELSIOR
715 mt

LA ROTONDA

Pavia
LA ROTONDA
825 mt