Vigevano

Piazza Ducale, Vigevano, Italy.

Vigevano, town, Lombardia (Lombardy) region, northern Italy, on the right bank of the Ticino River, southwest of Milan. An old silk-manufacturing town, it was the site during the Renaissance of a hunting villa of the Sforza family, who built the arcaded Piazza Ducale (1494) and enlarged the former Castello Visconti (1492). A bishopric, it has a notable cathedral (1532–1606).

Industry has grown steadily in Vigevano during the 20th century, and the town is widely known as a shoe-manufacturing centre with an annual International Shoe Fair and Market. It also has textile and leather industries. Pop. (2006 est.) mun., 59,714.