L' Abbey of Abbadia Cerreto

A lone jewel in the Lodi countryside, the Abbazia di Abbadia Cerreto is an example of the move from Romanesque to Gothic in Lombardy. Built of brick around 1160-70, the church has an elegant façade with a sloping roof and in front of this a pronaos consisting of three bays divided by buttresses. The design of the interior in the form of a Latin cross, which harmonizes perfectly with the exterior, is emphasized by the chromatic interaction between the white of the cross-shaped vaulted roof and the lines of the brickwork arches and the brick pillars with their square capitals. Following the Cistercian custom there are three chapels on each side opening onto the transept, with barrel-vault ceilings in the shape of a pointed arch: worth noting in the left chapel is the Madonna and child with saints painted in the 16th century by the celebrated Lodi artist Callisto Piazza. The abbey also hold various concerts and cultural events throughout the year.