San Michele Maggiore is Pavia's most important medieval monument. Built between the 7th and 12th centuries on the site of an earlier Lombard church, it has a powerfully austere exterior of golden sandstone with a sculpted facade populated by monsters, knights, and biblical scenes — somewhat eroded but still vivid. The crypt is large and atmospheric, with some original painted decoration surviving.
The church sits on a quiet piazza a short walk from the cathedral. It is the best introduction to Lombard Romanesque architecture in the region: less fussed-over than some famous counterparts, with the weight and gravity of a building that remembers its political importance.