{"id":719,"date":"2026-02-17T13:27:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T13:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/?page_id=719"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:27:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T13:27:39","slug":"piadena2016","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/travel\/piadena2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Piadena, 30 July 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>One July day I visited, albeit in passing, Piadena (in the Province of Cremona<\/a>). It is one of the more peculiar places I have encountered in Italy. A century ago — perhaps slightly more — it might well have harboured ambitions of becoming a city. Indeed, it probably did. At some point, however, for reasons now obscure, it appears to have relinquished the effort. What remains is a large, densely built-up settlement of two- and three-storey historic buildings.
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\n<\/a>It could have become a genuinely handsome town.
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\n<\/a>The parish church presents a somewhat coarse façade, not particularly inviting.
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\n<\/a>In reality, however, it deserves to be seen — especially inside.
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\n<\/a>Regrettably, the low-energy light bulbs, of a distinctly uncompromising design, are displayed with the same visual authority as the other sacred objects.
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\n<\/a>Having completed the cultural component of the visit, one discovers that beyond the «centre» lies a considerable number of substantial private villas. Their architectural quality and physical condition vary, yet most appear to be inhabited — a circumstance no longer self-evident in many small Italian localities.
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\n<\/a>This one, although not a prison, is likewise inhabited. Its aesthetic language is… direct.
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\n<\/a>Paradoxically, the most dilapidated building I observed was not the oldest. It is, I suspect, the one constructed according to the lowest local standards. I would not object to its discreet removal.
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\n<\/a>The function of certain other modern structures can be deduced only with assistance from explanatory signage.
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\n<\/a>Everyone — myself included — knows the purpose of a public weighbridge. I was pleased, at last, to encounter one apparently still operational. Had the opening hours been communicated in a more decipherable manner, I might even have considered testing it.
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\n<\/a>A different functional typology is currently spreading across Italy: the small «book house» intended for the exchange of printed volumes. The literary standard of the donated works is not uniformly elevated. This is, however, entirely predictable; I too retain the more compelling books for personal use.
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\n<\/a>Municipal noticeboards devoted to sport are, fortunately, less ubiquitous. It is worth recording that Piadena’s is not dedicated to the usual football.
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\n<\/a>«Liberation Festival» in July? The sign prompted me to revisit a chapter of Italian history — which is never a wasted exercise.
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\n<\/a>Even in the fabric of everyday life, minor discoveries are possible. A model of litter bin widely distributed throughout Italy appears here in a two-tone version rather than the customary black.
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\n<\/a>In the town centre, the lids of all bins have been installed in reverse. It is, in fact, an intelligent solution: slightly less rainwater enters the container, and passers-by are deprived of any plausible excuse for discarding cigarette ends on the pavement or extinguishing them against a wall.
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\n<\/a>With this, I conclude the inventory of noteworthy observations in Piadena. One final mention must be made of the inexplicably elegant railway station (for a settlement of approximately three thousand inhabitants). Of particular historical interest is the former goods registration window.
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\n<\/a>Beyond that, it remains a town in the middle of the countryside.
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The photographic account of a tourist visit to Piadena on 30 July 2016. My impression of the place: if you are in the area, you may stop by.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":206,"menu_order":60,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-719","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=719"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/719\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eugigufo.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}