With Leonardo at an agriturismo: the happy union of art and nature in Vigevano - Part I.

A journey into the Renaissance, in the footsteps of Leonardo Da Vinci and amid the atmosphere of the Sforza court of Ludovico Il Moro: this is the exciting and unique experience we had during our trip to Vigevano. This jewel of a city, set within the Ticino Park, is about thirty kilometres from both Milan and Pavia, but can also be reached in a little over an hour from the Ligurian Ponente. You only have to travel such a short distance, and you are catapulted into a world that is often known only through films or history books. And here history is breathed in deeply: Ludovico Il Moro, Duke of Milan, was born in Vigevano itself, in the same year, 1452, in which Leonardo Da Vinci was born in Tuscany.

In fact Leonardo was one of the most famous travellers among those who reached Vigevano over the centuries: he was about thirty when he presented himself to Ludovico, and from that meeting between the genius and the great duke sprang a fruitful collaboration that led Leonardo to create, among other things, the frescoes in the Sforza Castle in Milan. When we begin our Renaissance stroll in Vigevano, a lady passionate about local history, with whom we exchange a few words in front of the beautiful church of San Francesco, tells us that it was during a land survey in the countryside around Vigevano that Leonardo noticed the potential that the flights of steps, found here and there in the ground, could have for irrigation and land reclamation.

We walk to Piazza Ducale, one of the most fabulous squares in the world: neither words nor photos do justice to the beauty of this place; you really have to see it in person. It was built at the behest of Ludovico Il Moro starting in the same year in which Christopher Columbus discovered America, 1492. The Duomo, like a sacred goal to reach after metaphorically crossing several centuries of history, welcomes passers-by who arrive there walking alongside the charming porticoes that stretch along the sides of the square. Among the historic buildings to visit in Vigevano, the Sforza Castle certainly cannot be missing, an architectural complex set in a park of over two hectares at the highest point of the city and built in the fourteenth century on the site of the pre-existing ancient village of Vicogebuin, the historic name of Vigevano.

Watching over the castle is the beautiful Torre del Bramante, a full 75 metres high, located at the highest point of the city and clearly visible even from Piazza Ducale. The tower dates back to 1198, and was completed by Bramante three hundred years later, while the Baroque cupola, which replaced the original conical spire, was added in the 17th century. From the masterpieces of art to those of nature the step is short: we only need to travel about three kilometres to reach the Agriturismo Carlo e Nadia on via Cararola, near the Santa Marta lakes, to find ourselves in a green oasis. Set in a lush orchard, the agriturismo offers countless possibilities for fun for young and old. The view of the Torre del Bramante in the distance keeps us in contact with the city even though we are in the countryside.

After leaving the car in the large car park overlooking peach and apricot trees, we are affectionately welcomed by Barbara Invernizzi, the young owner who runs the large facility together with her family: her parents Carlo and Nadia, founders of the business, and her sister Arianna. The children who are with us immediately realise they have arrived in a fabulous world created around them: they can freely run around the meadows, cycle around the estate, play football without being told off, and enjoy nature like little elves discovering plants and flowers, but also a great many animals, starting with the smallest such as bees, up to the larger ones, such as cows or horses. There is deliberately no playground: you don't need climbing equipment, there are the trees, and the bravest children can even have a ride on the pony.

“When a group of children play together, even if there are children of foreign tourists among them, understanding each other is never a problem thanks to the common language of play,” Barbara confides as she begins to introduce us to the business. “My sisters Arianna and Sara and I grew up on our parents' Carlo and Nadia's farm. In 2002 our father decided to give the family a gift by taking over this facility, which had not been active for years, to turn it into an agriturismo in keeping with the times. The idea was immediately to showcase the products of our farm, including Carnaroli rice first and foremost, as well as livestock farming and consequently the meat we produce, all while making our guests feel welcomed into our home.

This new business not only proved to be a welcome service to the public, but also made us discover that we are a great team as a family,” Barbara tells us; she graduated in public relations and in 2010 decided, together with her sister Arianna, a fashion design graduate, to devote herself to the family business in an even more concrete way, taking over its management. “Thus the Società Agricola Piccolo Fiore was born, which, in addition to the activities run before, has specialised in various new services, especially in the educational field. We have obtained all the necessary certificates to run the educational farm and to do horticultural therapy, and soon we will also have the licence for the social farm. We have eighteen employees, almost all of them young people who have worked with us for years; we have managed to create a close-knit team,” Barbara continues.