LODI (Italy): A MESSAGE OF HOPE

Hello, my friends!
Today I want to take you with me to a special place.
A small town, in Northern Italy, a small provincial capital that has become famous worldwide because in one of its neighboring Countries, Codogno, the first Italian outbrea of coronavirus has exploded.
I want to take you to LODI, a quiet town with a centuries-old history and I want to start just from its beauty and from the tranquillity of an ordinary afternoon of late January Sunday, when life still flowed calmly abandoned to its peaceful rythms, to give a message of hope, rebirth and trust that we'll return to life and we'll overcome all this.
We'll never be the same: we'll be stronger and more united than before, because a pain like what we're feeling can never be forgotten.

Some infos of LODI, this beautiful town.
It's located just 40 KM from Milan and it was founded by Federico Barbarossa, emperor of Sacred Roman Empire in 1150.
The beauty of Lodi lies in its precious historic centre, characterized above all by the uniqueness of the splendid central square, Piazza della Vittoria, which represents the true beating heart of Lodi.
Wonderful gems overlook this square, such as the beautiful Duomo della Vergine Assunta, the oldest religious building in town (1158) and Palazzo Broletto (1284) a very valuable architectural complex, houses the Town Hall.
The square has remained intact over the centuries and is characterized by a quadrangular plan with sides about 74 meters, with 66 columns supporting the beautiful arcades, some of which come from Laus Pompeia, the ancient Roman city.
This square is a wonderful example of porticoed square on all sides. This somewhat rare particularity, combined with the elegance and soft colors of the buildings that overlook it, makes this square a particularly harmonious and fascinating whole.
Another masterpiece of Lodi is the Temple of the Crowded, which represents one of the greatest masterpieces of Lombard Reneissance.
Under the lovely arcades, there are many shops and dining places where you can also stop outside and admire the beauty of the square.
Among the many typical gastronomic specialties of Lodi, there is some that you can find only here, the so-called "raspadura", a cheese similar to Parmigiano, but less seasoned, which is served in very thin small "leaves" scuffed by the shape.

Hope you enjoy, my friends and please, take care and stay at home.
All the best and a big embrace from me.
Renata