Cremona
Lying in the middle of the Padane plain CREMONA, it's small, Quiet, famous for making violins town. In the year 1566 Andrea Amati founded his first workshop here, and his son Nicola and students Stradivari and Guameri were his continuators and gave the project more momentum.. Cremona attracts musicians and tourists from all over the world precisely as a center of violin production. Today, about a hundred violin workshops in the city continue the tradition of the Amatic family., there is a world-famous violin making school here, concerts of classical music are often organized, and what year, in the third week of October, there is a string music festival.
For tourists not interested in music, Cremona is not very attractive. To avoid the feeling of provincial boredom that appears quickly after arriving in the city, It's best to come here only for a few hours from Milan or make a short stop on your way to more interesting places, for example. Bergamo or Mantua.
Practical details: arrival, information and accommodation
Cremona city center is just a short distance from the train station on Via Dante. Two interesting for tourists, facilities located outside the city, the church of San Sigismondo in the east and the Museo della Civilta Contadina in one of the western suburbs, they are connected by regular bus lines. Most long-distance buses stop at the train station.
In the main square, in front of the cathedral, the EPT office is located (Mon-Sat. 9.00-12.30 i 15.00-19.00, nd. 9.30-12.30), which has city maps, brochures and a detailed program of concerts. It also has a list of violin workshops (Liutary workshops) in the city and updated information on the opening days and hours for visitors to the Palazzo Raimondi violin production school.
Concordia is the cheapest hotel in town, Via Pallavicino 4 (near the intersection with Corso Matteotti; • 037220412), where double rooms cost 23 OOOL, but they must be booked at least one week in advance. Reservation is also required at the Hotel Brescia, Via Brescia 7 (0372434615; 25 OOOL), which is located right next to Piazza Liberta (bus #4 or #5 from the train station, or a 10- or 15-minute walk). Without a reservation, it is best to go to the Touring hotel, Via Palestro 3 (near the intersection with Corso Garibaldi; •037221390; also double rooms 25 OOOL).
Finally, there is a campsite on Via Parco Po Europa (V-IX; •037227137), which can be reached by bus # 1 from the station (direction Cadorna and Viale Po).
City
Those interested in the history of the violin should take their first steps to the Palazzo Affaitati on Via Palestro, decorated with pilasters, where the Museo Stradivariano is located (Tue-Sat. 9.30-12.15 i 15.00-17.45, nd. 9.30-12.15; 1000L, nd. Free entrance). The museum has models of the violin, patterns on paper, acoustic tools and diagrams from the Stradivarius workshop, and on the walls in glass cases hang beautifully carved violins, wiole, Violas, cellos and guitars. To maintain good condition, must be used regularly, and that is why the museum often organizes rehearsals of the game open to tourists (information from the curator). Located in the same building, the Museo Civico (entrance from the corner of Via U. Dati; the same hours.) exhibits the violin collection, by Andrea Amati, his son and students of Guameri and Stradivari. There is also an original collection of Garibaldi memorabilia, including a lock of hair, fragments of his beard and a cigar-end, and a fragment of the Chinese Wall was added to the collection of oriental porcelain. Among the few paintings there is the canvas attributed to Caravaggi, he portrays the tormented one, looking at the skull of St.. Francis.
The medieval city center is located just south of the museums, Town Hall Square. The western part of this square is formed by; decorated with turrets, built of red brick, the seat of the medieval city guard Loggia dei Militia and Palazzo del Comune surrounded by arcades. On the other hand, the highest rises, according to some, medieval tower in italy (110 m.), Romanesque Torazzo (15 111-30 XI, Mon-Sat. 10.30-12.00 i 15.00-18.00, nd. 10.00-12.30; 2000L), which is connected to the Duomo by a Renaissance loggia. The cathedral contains a variety of styles, which can be seen on the facade facing west, with Romanesque elements, gothic and renaissance. Inside, the most famous is the western rosette and frescoes from the beginning of the 16th century, although the latter are not clearly visible due to poor lighting. Facing southwest of the square, on Via Tibaldi, church of San Piętro al Po, it has more impressive and more visible frescoes. The walls are literally covered with paintings from the 16th century and rich stucco. Among the abundance of decorations, it is worth paying attention to the illusionist painting by Antonio Campi on the vault of the transept. In the adjoining refectory, he behaved in a cheerful mood, depicting the scene of the multiplication of the bread, fresco by Bernardino Gatti.
Gastronomy
Like everywhere, the cheapest dish is pizza. Pizza shop, Corso Mazzini 65, and bakery in Corso Garibaldi 143 they sell takeaway pizza. You can sit at a table and eat a pizza cheaply in the popular Pizzeria Stagnino, Corso Garibaldi 85, i Pizzeria La Pendola in Via Pallavicino. Lovers of their own cuisine can take advantage of the market, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the streets of the city.
The city is full of traditional trattorias, which serve such local specialties, as served with mostarde (local delicacy consisting of floating fruit in sweet mustard sauce ) stew from boiled meat bollito misto. Typical, but by no means cheap, are Tratoria da Cervi, Piazza Giovanni 23 (Via Aselli block) and Ristorante Centrale on Via Solferino. Cheaper, but always full, is Trattoria della Pace in Piazza della Pace (behind Piazza del Comune).
Surroundings of Cremona
Equally richly decorated, like San Floor al Po, is located at the eastern end of the city of San Sigismondo (from the bus station #3, z Piazza Liberta #2 or #3). The mannerist interior of this church, built in the year 1441 by Francesco and Bianca Sforza in memory of their wedding (Cremona had Bianca as a dowry), belongs to the most beautiful in Italy. He decorated the apse with a fresco by Camillo Boccaccino, in the third cavity of the nave there is a Pentecostal painting by Giulia Campi, imitating a Mantegna fresco from Camera degli Sposi in Mantua, and the Annunciation to Giulia is painted on the front wall (it is worth paying attention to the angel Gabriel seemingly hovering in the air). In the second chapel on the left is also made by the younger brother Giulia, Antonia, bleeding John the Baptist.
On the other side of town (bus # 3 from the station) is located, completely different in character, Peasant Civilization Museum (Tue-Sat. 9.30-12.15 i 15.00-17.45, nd. 9.30-12.15; 1000L). It's located on the edge of the industrial district of the city (Via Castelleone 51) the museum of agricultural history is one of the least readable in Italy. Located on the old one, dilapidated farm, the museum is so poorly described, that identification of goals, for which various agricultural implements were used, it is almost impossible. However, the appearance of the farm itself, which consists of a row of tiny workers' huts, the larger steward's houses and the padrone, a huge stable and a small chapel, built to avoid wasting time commuting to the church, gives a good idea of the life of slaves, which for centuries was led by the strictly subordinate to the feudal hierarchy of the Italian agricultural workers.