The best road cycling routes around Graffignana

Miradolo Terme is an Italian municipality located in Lombardy, in the province of Pavia, known mainly for its renowned thermal spa and for being the birthplace of the famous television presenter Gerry Scotti. The town stands in a hilly position at the foot of the San Colombano hills, surrounded by vineyards and hazelnut groves overlooking the Bassa Pavese.

The Ciaparat Chapel is a landmark mainly known on road cycling routes around Sant'Angelo Lodigiano and the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, often included in loop itineraries between Bascapè, Locate Triulzi, and Vistarino. It is a popular area for moderate road bike training, with asphalted roads.

The vineyards of San Colombano are located on the only hill in the metropolitan city of Milan, an isolated elevation in the Po Valley that extends between the provinces of Milan, Lodi, and Pavia. This area is renowned for the production of the DOC wine of the same name, often referred to as the "wine of Milan" due to its historical proximity and connection with the metropolis.

Classic climb of the San Colombano hills

This palace is called the "Versailles" of Lombardy. Everything is locked. According to the sign, it can be visited by appointment. The grounds are vast.

Chignolo Po Castle

On gravel we followed dirt roads along waterways and cycle paths as much as possible, but you can get there faster with a road bike.

We left Gorgonzola in the direction of the Chignolo Po Castle, one of the sumptuous country residences of Lombardy, and after about three hours we arrived at our destination... discovering that the Castle was closed... no big deal we took pictures from the outside. Its oldest part is the tower, built as a garrison on the Po and on the connecting routes between northern Europe and Italy. The Castle, built in the thirteenth century, was transformed into a princely palace in the eighteenth century, through an imaginative stylistic reworking of the building. It appears as a majestic terracotta construction, surmounted by a protruding gallery supported by stone brackets. Each window is framed in white. The most spectacular element is the central tower, square and with battlements, embellished with a small loggia. Inside you can admire the apartments in which Pope Clement XI, Napoleon Bonaparte and Francis I of Austria were hosted, as well as the sumptuous ballroom on whose ceiling the glory of the four seasons is painted. The Castle is also home to the Museum of the History of Lombard Agricultural Civilization, created with the intent of bringing together the many historical realities that have formed the foundation of the agricultural activities of the lower Po Valley and the Lombard Wine Museum. The visit route aims to admire the monumental complex of the Castle of Chignolo Po and to enhance the history of its centuries-old royal fiefdom and its position along the Via Francigena. The visits are only guided as the Castle is a private residence. Nice trip!