{"id":809,"date":"2020-11-26T14:17:22","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T14:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/?p=809"},"modified":"2020-11-26T14:17:22","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T14:17:22","slug":"cremona-city-of-arts-with-great-musical-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/2020\/11\/26\/cremona-city-of-arts-with-great-musical-tradition\/","title":{"rendered":"Cremona \u2013 city of arts with great musical tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"City

\u00a9Bigstock.com\/Ibryan<\/p><\/div>\n

Situated on the left bank of the Po river near the border to Emilia Romagna, there\u2019s a genuine Lombard insiders\u2019 tip waiting to be discovered by you. To be fair, Cremona isn\u2019t what you\u2019d necessarily call a prime holiday destination. The charming city in the south of the region with just over 72,000 inhabitants is a clear case of small but beautiful. Did you know, for example, that Cremona can look back on a rich history of violin craftmanship that is part of the UNESCO\u2019s intangible cultural heritage? Or that it is home to one of the tallest brickwork bell towers in Europe? Well then, time to check out this lovely city.<\/p>\n

A historical rollercoaster of emotions and rulers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Piacenza, Cremona was founded in 218 BC as a Roman military outpost for protection against Gallic tribes. New settlers were sent to the colony a few years later allowing it to blossom and eventually gain municipium rights. Troops of future emperor Vespasian destroyed Cremona in 69 AD after the Second Battle of Bedriacum \u2013 one of the reasons why you will find hardly any ancient traces. Despite Vespasian ordering immediate rebuilding, its former wealth was gone. The Lombards, too, would destroy and rebuild Cremona several centuries later.<\/p>\n

Things became fairly quiet for a long time after. Cremona changed sides several times during the 11th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> century, supported Barbarossa and still later joined the Lombard League. Being faithful to the empire, it supported the Ghibellines during the Battle of Parma \u2013 some of Cremona\u2019s most beautiful buildings date back to this era \u2013 until the Guelphs, former enemies, took over. You will hardly be surprised that this period resulted in several rebellions and loss of many rights. Rulers would then change frequently until Cremona became part of the House of Habsburg. It was heavily contested during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1702 before returning to the Austrian Habsburgs and blossoming. That\u2019s where Cremona remained \u2013 not counting a Napoleonic intermezzo \u2013 until the defeat in the Austro-Sardinian War around 1860. The city became part of the newly founded Kingdom of Italy.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral of Cremona<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a9Bigstock.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Many of Cremona\u2019s most beautiful buildings date back to the Middle Ages, and here\u2019s an excellent example. The city\u2019s cathedral, Duomo di Cremona or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, joins the Baptistery and the bell tower Torrazzo to form Cremona\u2019s architectural centrepiece. While the foundation was laid as early as 1107, the cathedral wasn\u2019t consecrated until 1190 due to a devastating earthquake. The campanile, the transept, the fa\u00e7ade and the narthex, which now dominates the piazza, were added in later times. Therefore, the cathedral only gained its modern look in the 15th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n

An impressive marble fa\u00e7ade with rich decoration rises around the elaborately designed Romanesque porch. A massive rose window and four Romanesque ambulatories add to this composition. The upper part, however, features distinct early Renaissance characteristics. By contrast, the side fa\u00e7ades of transept seem fairly plain \u2013 something you most certainly cannot say about the cathedral interior with its plethora of awe-inspiring ornamentations and embellishments. The large altar cross made of gilded silver will most definitely catch your eye. It was made of more than 1,000 different parts with 160 statues. Paintings and frescoes by Il Pordenone, Boccaccino and Amadeo cap off the monumental overall impression.<\/p>\n

Two other, similarly impressive buildings are also part of this architectural ensemble:<\/p>\n