Cremona Attractions
The provincial capital of Cremona lies in the fertile North Italian plain just north of the Po, near the mouth of the River Adda, some 70km/43mi southeast of Milan, the capital of Lombardy.
Violin-makers
The town is world-famed for the violin-makers who worked here, particularly in the 16th-18th centuries. The violins made by Niccolò Amati, Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri de Gesù and other violin- makers are famous for their sound. Today efforts are made to perpetuate this musical tradition by means of concerts, etc. In Cremona there is an Institute of Professional Violin Makers, and in the cultural center exhibitions on the same theme are held. Cremona was also the birthplace of the composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). There is a musical college named after him.
History
The Gallic settlement on this site became a Roman colony in 218 B.C., and in later centuries suffered destruction on many occasions - by Vespasian's army (in A.D. 70), by the Goths and the Lombards, and during the struggle between Guelfs and Ghibelines. The town was an important base of the emperor Frederick II. In 1334 it passed to Milan. Piazza del Comune
Violin-makers
The town is world-famed for the violin-makers who worked here, particularly in the 16th-18th centuries. The violins made by Niccolò Amati, Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri de Gesù and other violin- makers are famous for their sound. Today efforts are made to perpetuate this musical tradition by means of concerts, etc. In Cremona there is an Institute of Professional Violin Makers, and in the cultural center exhibitions on the same theme are held. Cremona was also the birthplace of the composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). There is a musical college named after him.
History
The Gallic settlement on this site became a Roman colony in 218 B.C., and in later centuries suffered destruction on many occasions - by Vespasian's army (in A.D. 70), by the Goths and the Lombards, and during the struggle between Guelfs and Ghibelines. The town was an important base of the emperor Frederick II. In 1334 it passed to Milan. Piazza del Comune
Cathedral
East of the Torrazzo in Cremona, linked with it by a Renaissance loggia (begun 1497, completed in the 18th century), is the cathedral, in Lombard Gothic style (1107-90), which has a richly sculptured façade embellished with columns. It contains frescoes (1506-73) by Pordenone, Boccaccino and others and many Biblical scenes. Note the beautiful relief decoration on the two pulpits (19th century).
Torrazzo
In the Piazza del Comune, in the center of the picturesque old town of Cremona, stands the town's principal landmark, the imposing Torrazzo (1267), an octagonal tower 111m/366ft high, from which there are extensive views. There is a fascinating violin workshop, the "Bottega della Torre", on the first floor.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 |
| Open | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Open | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Town Hall
On the west side of the Piazza del Comune is the Gothic Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall, 1206-45), which contains four violins by the famous Cremonese violin-makers. To the left of the Town Hall is the Gothic Loggia dei Militi (1292).
Hours
January 1 to December 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 9:15 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Baptistery
Adjoining the cathedral in Cremona are the octagonal Baptistery (1167), with a font by L. Trotti (16th century) and the subterranean Campo Santo.
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San Pietro al Po
The church of San Pietro al Po (1563-68), the interior of which contains rich stucco ornament and ceiling paintings by Antonio Campi (d. 1591). In the neighboring convent is a representation of the "Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes" (c. 1550).
San Sigismondo
2km/1.25mi east of Cremona is the church of San Sigismondo, a superb Early Renaissance building by Bartolomeo Gadia (1463), with frescoes and pictures by Camillo Boccaccio, the younger Campi and others.
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