Capital of music from the Violin Museum to the Auditorium and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. In the square, medieval architecture. At the table, the unmistakable torrone
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the Pianura Padana (Po Valley). It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city and province governments. The city of Cremona is especially noted for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most renowned luthiers, such as Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, Vincenzo Rugeri, and several members of the Amati family.
Cremona is known for its artisan workshops that have been producing high-quality stringed instruments since the 16th century and for the Torrazzo, one of Europe’s tallest surviving medieval brick towers, housing one of the world’s largest astronomical clocks. It’s a small city that makes a good place to spend a couple of nights with a compact historic center that’s pleasant for walking or sitting in a bar savoring the sights.
HIGLIGHTS
This province offers numerous landmarks that are amongst the most peculiar monuments in Lombardy and are definitely worth a visit.
Curious about Cremona, Italy: a city of vintage violins, mustard fruit and sweet surprises
Connected to the Cathedral, the Tower of Cremona boasts a height of over 110-metres, making it the third tallest brick tower in the world, and as with most Italian cities, you’ll need to climb it for some of the best views. Once you reach the top, which comes complete with traffic lights due to how narrow it is, you’ll be able to look across Lombardy and neighbouring Emilia Romagna.
The Violin Museum itself is modern and well equipped, although the €10 entrance fee I feel restricts interest to those already passionate about the instrument. Inside, an audio-guide tour will take you through the rooms, where violins by famous players and composers are preserved, and the violin-making history of the city is documented.
The Torrazzo, the cathedral’s 112.7 meter tall bell tower dating from the early 1300’s, is said to be Europe’s oldest brick tower over 100 meters tall. On the front of the tower is the 16th century astronomical clock. Climb the 502 steps for an up-close look at the statues on the cathedral facade from the terrace and fantastic views of the city, countryside, and Po River from the top.
The Civic Museum Ala Ponzone-Stradivariano has a display of stringed instruments and artifacts from Stradivari’s workshop. It also houses paintings from the middle ages through the 20th century, ceramics, cathedral artifacts, and archeological finds including a large collection of coins. Cremona also an archeological museum and a natural history museum (all closed on Mondays).
