It is a small town in the province of Pavia, located at the confluence of the Ticino and the Po, near the main city of the Province. It was known in the Dark Ages by the name of St. Martin of parched earth, where "Terra Arsa" was nothing but the popularization of the term" Siccomario "(both terms, in fact, refer aridity of the area). It was the seat of a "hospitum" for pilgrims traveling along the Francigena, of which, however, no traces remain. It was part of the fief of the Beccaria, during the Middle Ages, and later it belonged to the Gattinara, the Menocchio of Pavia, Filiberto Bouillon of Chieri. In 1772 it was ceded to the Italian State.
Among the sites of interest, worth of mention:
- The Parish Church of San Martino, of Medieval origin, with a Bell Tower and Romanesque façade, remodeled in the XVIII century. Inside is preserved a painting of the school and frescoes in the apse of the artist Parmigianino.
- The Baroque Church of Our Lady, outside town, with an external portal supported by columns and a pink marble altar topped by a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows.