The Province of Cremona is rich with historic and artistic treasures that allow art and culture fanatics to retrace the stages of its development in history: Medieval-era architecture, churches, piazzas, villas and castles in the alluvial plains.
The city of Cremona is without a doubt the springboard for any tour of the Province. Begin in Piazza del Comune, a typical Medieval piazza dominated by the city's most important structures: the Duomo, the Baptistery, the Palazzo del Comune with its famous 364-ft Torrazzo - the emblem of the city - and the Loggia dei Militi. The Fodri and Raimondi Palazzi date from the Renaissance. And the churches of San Sigismondo, San Pietro al Po and Sant'Agostino are all worth a visit. Cremona also owes its fame to the production of the Stradivarius violin, an art continued today in many artisan workshops and the Scuola Liuteria, the School for Stringed Instruments. The one-of-a-kind Stradivarius Museum hosts a vast collection of instruments and relics from the workshop of the "father of the Stradivarius," Antonio Stradivari.
Moving on to nearby Crema, open spaces, piazzas, and historical homes stand shoulder to shoulder with aristocratic residences and their verdant courtyards, monastic buildings, the Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral and its bell tower.
Another jewel of the territory of Cremona are its castles and fortifications, testifying to the Province's flourishing history: Soncino is a unique example of a citadel with its might fortress, Pizzighettone was a system of fortresses built in the 16th Century, and Pandino dates from the Visconti era.
Among the historic villas are Villa Sommi Picenardi in Torre de? Picenardi, Villa Manfredi in Cicognolo, Villa Maggio-Trecchi in Vho, and Villa Medici del Vascello in San Giovanni in Croce, to mention a few.
Visit Casalmaggiore to see its Duomo and Santa Chiara Monastery. Adding to the pleasure of a visit or a walk or bike ride, the Po runs right alongside the historic center!
