The little province, of which Lodi is the capital, usually gives food to 30,000 cows; and its cheese, improperly called Parmesan, is most excellent. Hence we proceeded to a troublesome Austrian custom-house, near the Po ; and then crossed that fine river, on a pont-volant to Piacenza. This town, seated in a rich and pleasant country, contains several objects of interest; namely, the Cathedral and the Church of La Madonna della Campagna, both adorned with good paintings, the cupola of the former being by Guercino, the angles by Francesconi, and 'the ceiling above the great altar, and frescos behind fields of rice, and every other kind it, by Lodovico Caracci and Procaccino. This church is likewise adorned with a picture of S. Corrado, by Lanfranco, and another of S. Francois Xavier, by Fiamingo; the Angels, in fresco, which surround the latter, being likewise by Fiamingo; and the Ascension, on the ceiling of one of the chapels, by the same master. The Church of the Canonici regolari di S. Agostino, designed by Vignola; the Town-hall, by the same architect ; and two equestrian Statues, the one representing Ranucolo, and the other Alessandro Farnese, by Francesco Moca, also merit notice. Piacenza, though large, is built entirely of brick, not even its palaces excepted; it contains a pretty theatre and good hotels. Here commences the ancient Via Flaminia, constructed during the consulate of Lepidus and Flaminius, and leading to the Via Emilia in Romagna; and not far hence flows that memorable torrent, the Trebbia, whose immense bed travellers drive through on their way to S. Giovanni, in the road to Tortona.
At the distance of half a mile from Piacenza, we crossed a bridge thrown over the Po, having, to our right, the lofty mountains of the Apennine, with villages and farms at their base; and to our left a plain, watered by the abovenamed river. Midway to Fiorenzuola we traversed, on a stonebridge, a torrent called the Nura, and thence drove through the bed of the Larda, always dry in summer, and provided with a narrow bridge, over which carriages pass when the stream is swoln by winter rain. We then proceeded through Fiorenzuola, a small town where, however, there are good inns...
At the distance of half a mile from Piacenza, we crossed a bridge thrown over the Po, having, to our right, the lofty mountains of the Apennine, with villages and farms at their base; and to our left a plain, watered by the abovenamed river. Midway to Fiorenzuola we traversed, on a stonebridge, a torrent called the Nura, and thence drove through the bed of the Larda, always dry in summer, and provided with a narrow bridge, over which carriages pass when the stream is swoln by winter rain. We then proceeded through Fiorenzuola, a small town where, however, there are good inns...
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