La Strada Coperta (Covered Ramp)
One of the most unusual architectural features in Lombardy, the Strada Coperta is a long, vaulted ramp built by Ludovico Sforza so he could ride on horseback directly from the Castello Sforzesco to the Duomo without descending to street level. Walking its length rewards you with framed views over the piazza's terracotta rooftops that no street-level photograph can replicate.
Engineering of a paranoid duke
Built in the 1490s alongside the piazza, the covered walkway stretches for roughly 170 metres at first-floor height, its interior lit by a series of small arched windows that cast slanted rectangles of light across the brick floor. Ludovico Sforza wanted a protected escape route as much as a ceremonial passage, and the thickness of the walls reflects that dual purpose.
The ramp rises gently rather than using stairs, allowing horses and carriages to pass. Today it is pedestrianised and forms part of the castle museum circuit, so you need a ticket to access it — but the views from the windows halfway along, looking down into the piazza below, are worth every cent of the entry fee.
The view from the top
At the upper end of the ramp, where it connects to the castle's residential tower, you emerge onto a small terrace with a clear sightline across the entire piazza and the cathedral's dome. On clear days the flat Lomellina plain stretches south toward the Po river, its rice paddies glinting silver in the afternoon light.
This is the photograph most visitors to Vigevano never take, because they do not know the terrace exists. Arrive at opening time to have it entirely to yourself.
More of Vigevano
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Vigevano →
