Cremona
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The city of Cremona is the capital city of the Province of Cremona with a population of 71,967 inhabitants.
Standing at an elevation of 47 metres above sea level, it covers a total area of 70 km² and lies 100 kilometres south east of Milan, the regional capital of Lombardy. A once powerful city state, the city oozes history with its medieval and Renaissance buildings but it is to the world of music that Cremona owes most of its fame, and specifically to the violin. |
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Numerous Cremonese family names such as the Amati and Guarneri have stamped their mark on the art of violin making but none so much as Antonio Stradavari, better known as Stradivarius (1644 - 1737). Cremona's association with the violin industry extends to around 100 workshops in the city centre, an International School of Violin Making and of most interest to visitors, a Violin Museum (Museo del Violino). Cremona also hosts a triennial exhibition for stringed instruments, the Triennale Internazionale degli Strumenti ad Arco.
The Violin Museum is situated just a short walk from the city's main square: Piazza del Comune. On the way from the museum to Piazza del Comune you'll pass another significant square: Piazza Stradivari with a statue of Stradivarius one of its ornaments.
There's a palpable sense of grandeur when you first enter Piazza del Comune; its buildings all come from the medieval and Renaissance period but their size and extravagance still cause the jaw to ever so slightly drop even now in modern times. The main building here is Cremona Cathedral with its enormous facade but even that is dwarfed by the gargantuan bell tower next to it, known as the Torrazzo ("Great Tower"). If you're feeling energetic and don't suffer from vertigo then you can climb the tower's 502 steps that stretch to a height of 111 metres. From the top, the views of Cremona and beyond are exceptional and repay your effort (and courage if you're not keen on the internal winding staircase) handsomely.
Back on terra firma, you can visit another important building on Piazza del Comune: the Cremona Baptistery. Also, just behind the Baptistery on Piazza Sant'Antonio Zaccaria, you can see a second facade of Cremona Cathedral. The final two buildings of interest on Piazza del Comune are the Palazzo del Comune and the Loggia dei Militi, both built in the 13th century.
The streets around Piazza del Comune are full of shops and places to eat, streets such as Largo Boccaccino or Via Mercatino to name just two. Around all of these streets you'll find numerous places where you can sample Cremona's most famous food product: the Torrone. Not to be confused with the Torrazzo, the Torrone is a nougat-based sweet celebrated every November at the Festa del Torrone (Torrone Festival) which takes over the city centre.
Cremona's main train station (Stazione Cremona Centrale) is located 1.3 kilometres north of the city centre, a walk of 16 minutes. If you're planning to visit one of the city's main museums, the Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, you'll find that half way between the train station and Piazza del Comune. Trains from Cremona reach Milan (Milano Centrale) in an hour and 10 minutes, stopping along the way in Lodi (38 minutes) among other places. Heading north it's 58 minutes to Brescia or east, an hour and 10 minutes to Mantova.
By car from Cremona to Milan takes an hour and 23 minutes (97 km) while journey times and distances to the fellow provincial capitals are as follows: Brescia - 45 mins (56 km), Lodi - 49 mins (70 km), Mantova -1 hour 5 mins (68 km), Pavia - 1 hour 9 mins (86 km), Bergamo - 1 hour 9 mins (103 km), Monza - 1 hour 16 mins (108 km), Lecco - 1 hour 38 mins (147 km), Como - 1 hour 39 mins (147 km), Varese - 1 hour 47 mins (155 km) and Sondrio - 2 hours 36 mins (226 km).
The most convenient airports for Cremona are Milan Linate Airport which is an hour away by car and a distance of 93 kilometres, Milan Bergamo Airport which is an hour and 4 minutes drive (102 km) or Verona Airport which is almost the same distance and journey time as Bergamo, (1 hour 7 minutes, 105 km).
The Violin Museum is situated just a short walk from the city's main square: Piazza del Comune. On the way from the museum to Piazza del Comune you'll pass another significant square: Piazza Stradivari with a statue of Stradivarius one of its ornaments.
There's a palpable sense of grandeur when you first enter Piazza del Comune; its buildings all come from the medieval and Renaissance period but their size and extravagance still cause the jaw to ever so slightly drop even now in modern times. The main building here is Cremona Cathedral with its enormous facade but even that is dwarfed by the gargantuan bell tower next to it, known as the Torrazzo ("Great Tower"). If you're feeling energetic and don't suffer from vertigo then you can climb the tower's 502 steps that stretch to a height of 111 metres. From the top, the views of Cremona and beyond are exceptional and repay your effort (and courage if you're not keen on the internal winding staircase) handsomely.
Back on terra firma, you can visit another important building on Piazza del Comune: the Cremona Baptistery. Also, just behind the Baptistery on Piazza Sant'Antonio Zaccaria, you can see a second facade of Cremona Cathedral. The final two buildings of interest on Piazza del Comune are the Palazzo del Comune and the Loggia dei Militi, both built in the 13th century.
The streets around Piazza del Comune are full of shops and places to eat, streets such as Largo Boccaccino or Via Mercatino to name just two. Around all of these streets you'll find numerous places where you can sample Cremona's most famous food product: the Torrone. Not to be confused with the Torrazzo, the Torrone is a nougat-based sweet celebrated every November at the Festa del Torrone (Torrone Festival) which takes over the city centre.
Cremona's main train station (Stazione Cremona Centrale) is located 1.3 kilometres north of the city centre, a walk of 16 minutes. If you're planning to visit one of the city's main museums, the Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, you'll find that half way between the train station and Piazza del Comune. Trains from Cremona reach Milan (Milano Centrale) in an hour and 10 minutes, stopping along the way in Lodi (38 minutes) among other places. Heading north it's 58 minutes to Brescia or east, an hour and 10 minutes to Mantova.
By car from Cremona to Milan takes an hour and 23 minutes (97 km) while journey times and distances to the fellow provincial capitals are as follows: Brescia - 45 mins (56 km), Lodi - 49 mins (70 km), Mantova -1 hour 5 mins (68 km), Pavia - 1 hour 9 mins (86 km), Bergamo - 1 hour 9 mins (103 km), Monza - 1 hour 16 mins (108 km), Lecco - 1 hour 38 mins (147 km), Como - 1 hour 39 mins (147 km), Varese - 1 hour 47 mins (155 km) and Sondrio - 2 hours 36 mins (226 km).
The most convenient airports for Cremona are Milan Linate Airport which is an hour away by car and a distance of 93 kilometres, Milan Bergamo Airport which is an hour and 4 minutes drive (102 km) or Verona Airport which is almost the same distance and journey time as Bergamo, (1 hour 7 minutes, 105 km).
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Category: Beautiful Italian Cities
Region: Lombardy Regional district: Cremona Province Population: 71,967 Top sights: Piazza del Comune, Torrazzo, Cremona Cathedral Recommended accommodation: Hotel Astoria Close by: Pizzighettone, Piacenza, Crema, Lodi, Busseto, Mantova |
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Public transport: Train station 1.3 km from centre, local buses
By car: Brescia - 45 mins (56 km), Lodi - 49 mins (70 km) |
By air: Milan Linate Airport - 1 hour by car (95 km)
By train: Lodi - 38 minutes, Brescia - 58 minutes |
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