_ 171 _ We put up at Martinengo, a village, and crossed a large river called Serio, six miles from Martinengo and another river immediately beyond, where there is a wooden gallows marking the border between the Seigniory of Venice and the State of Milan. Then, at a river farther on, twelve miles from Martinengo, we paid four soldi per person and horse, and the same in the other cities after that. We dined in Milan, thirty miles from Martinengo, and spent the day there because the merchants were asking the courier to take letters. On the next day, we dined in a place called Boffalora. In the afternoon, we passed through Novara (which now belongs to the Duke of Parma, although some of the other small places around are obedient to Milan) and paid two soldi per person. Here, we entered Piedmont and the domain of the Duke of Savoy. We slept in Vercelli, where we paid three soldi per person, and this belongs to the Duke of Savoy, the first place around here which does. On the next day, we left to the south-west and dined in Livorno, sixteen miles from Vercelli. This belongs to the Duke of Mantua. We dined in Turin, a city well-guarded by armed men, where a fine stronghold was being built on the Duke’s order, which was not yet complete. The Duke and the court are here most of the time. We left and dined at a small
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