three walled cities

cream
This small city with ancient history, offers the image of a busy life on a human scale, in which the guest can spend quiet hours in a pleasant, stimulating artistically.
Entrance into the city att
  Pizzighettone
Pizzighettone presents a set of walls among the most impressive and most important of Italy's Lombardy.
A rare example of military architecture, designed and continuously improved in the Dark Ages between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries p
  Soncino
Soncino stands on a mound of the ancient bank of the river Oglio immersed in the intense green of a lush countryside where numerous springs arise, completely surrounded by massive brick walls and a moat which is still partly

Churches

The Cathedral of Cremona and the annexed Baptistery constitutes one of the most notable sites for Romanesque-Gothic art in northern Italy.

Buildings

• The Torrazzo, the second highest brickwork bell tower in Europe.

Notable people

     * Andrea Amati (luthier, 1505/1510 - 1577)
     * Leonidas Bissolati (Political, 1857 - 1920)
     * Antonio Cabrini (footballer b. 1957)
     * Roberto Farinacci (fascist, 1892 - 1945)
     * Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu (luthier, 1698 - 1744)
     * Mina (singer, TV presenter 1940)
     * Claudio Monteverdi (composer, from 1567 to 1643)
     * Amilcare Ponchielli (Composer, 1834 - 1886)
     * Sicardo (bishop and scholar, from 1155 to 1215)
     * Antonio Stradivari (violin maker, from 1643 to 1737)
     * Ugo Tognazzi (actor and director, 1922 - 1990)
     * Publius Varus Quintilio (Roman general, 47 or 46 BC - 9 AD)
     * Gianluca Vialli (footballer b. 1964)
     * Sergio Cofferati

Musica - Cremona

Cremona has a distinguished musical history. The 12th century cathedral was probably the focus of organized musical activity in the region in the late Middle Ages. By the 16th century the town had become a famous musical centre. Nowadays there are important ensembles for Renaissance and Baroque music, i.e. Choir & Consort Costanzo Porta, and festivals which maintain Cremona as one of the most important towns in Italy for music. Composer Marc'Antonio Ingegneri taught there; Claudio Monteverdi was his most famous student, before leaving for Mantua in 1591. It was also the birthplace of Pierre-Francisque Caroubel, a collaborator with noted German composer Michael Praetorius. The bishop of Cremona, Nicolò Sfondrati, a fervent supporter of the Counter-Reformation, became Pope Gregory XIV in 1590. Since he was an equally fervent patron of music, the renown of the town as a musical destination grew accordingly.
From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making. Today Cremona is still renowned for producing high-quality instruments.

A Brief History of Cremona

Roman origins and ageThe urban agglomeration of Cremonium (Cremona) has Celtic origins but its foundation was the case with Roman hands after the war between Rome and the Gauls in 218 BC and together with the sister colony of Placentia (Piacenza).The city, says Tacitus in his Histories, served as a bulwark against the Gauls, who were pressing beyond the Po and against all populations from the Alps The city was built on a hill located on a bend of the Po plain This choice was dictated by military reasons, playing the role of "barrier" and gateway to the territories south of the River.The city, its origins, occupied an area of ​​25 hectares and home to 6,000 inhabitants. In the year 89 BC the city was erected in "Municipium" and its expansion made it an urban center of the first level, with major roads: Via Postojna, with a first section joined to Aquileia Cremona and a second was built later, Cremona joined in Genoa . The more lines that led to Bergamo and Brescia, helped transform the city into an important center of communications by land and sea, thanks to the navigability of the river PoWith the death of Caesar, and the subsequent political events, the city of Cremona was raped. In 40 BC suffered a seizure of lands that passed from the ownership of the old settlers, schieratisi with Brutus and the senatorial class, the "friends" of Augustus.
Augustan AgeIn the Augustan Age, the city expanded and its importance grew even further: the choice of Virgil as a city with which to finish his studies youth, born in Cremona also prominent personalities of the time, as the poet Bibaculo Furio, and the writer Quintilio Launched Alfena Launching the jurist.In 69 A. D. the territory of Cremona was the scene of war between Vitellius and Otho, both acclaimed by the respective emperors legions. Vitellius defeated Otho but a later war broke out between Titus Flavius ​​Vitellius, and see the defeat of the latter. There followed a long siege by the troops Flaviani, the city was occupied and put to fire and sword.Unfortunately Cremona began to lose importance because of the continuing conflict. It remains, however, one of the most beautiful and rich.
Christianity from the Middle AgesWith the participation of the Bishop of Cremona, in 451, the famous Synod of Milan, began the spread of Christianity in the city.The city is easily reached from the river and the Alps, saw the passage of barbarian chieftains until 553, when it was incorporated nell'Esarcato Byzantine Ravenna, the city expanded to the north-west, with the creation of a large entrenched camp .Meanwhile, the landscape changed, with the Po, which had moved further south, away from Cremona, while a minor branch of the Adda reached the city limits.In 603, after a time defending thirty-four, the city was conquered and destroyed by Agilulf: the territory was divided between Brescia and Bergamo.In the eighth century, under the guidance of Liutprand, the city was flourishing, returning once again to enjoy its historic wealth.
The two citiesAt that time, Cremona was composed of two cities: the Cremona "below muras" governed by the Bishop and the "extra muras", developed in the Byzantine fortified camp. In the Carolingian period the commercial port, who resided in the extra muras, gave a significant contribution to economic prosperity. Cremona received the award of numerous imperial privileges in ninth and tenth centuries, which led to further growth.
The CityCremona in 1093, already a free commune, had acceded to a treaty of protection signed by the Countess Matilda of Canossa and the cities of Piacenza, Lodi and Milan.Five years later, in 1098, Cremona was given possession of the island Fulcher: Cream and area that includes nearby towns. This constituted a new urban development. Also in 1098 the city was equipped with the complex of the Piazza del Comune, the testimony of civil and religious ideals of the time.When Cream rebelled and won the support of Milan, due to the policy of the City of Cremona, the city proved to be the most powerful of the municipalities Lombardi: Cremona managed to contain the expansion of Milan. In 1154 the city obtained the right to coin money.Beside Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, known as Barbarossa, during the sieges of 1160 and the cream of Milan in 1162. The relationship was interrupted in 1167 with the accession to the Lombard League. With the Peace of Constance, signed in 1183, returned to Cremona loyal to the Emperor again, continuing the struggle with the hated London. On 11 May 1213, at Castelleone, the Cremonese reported a new and overwhelming victory over the Milanese.In the thirteenth century the city reached an urban population amounted to 80,000 persons (in 2003 approx 60,000). This increase was maintained until about 1400. During the first half of 1200 Cremona was loyal to Frederick II, who stayed there several times. After the death of Frederick II, the city entered a period of internal wars to go to Lordship. Cremona was unable to cope with the demands of a transformation from a free city in Lordship.Short and weak Lordships were followed under the guidance of Hubert Pallavicini (1250), by Dovara Buoso (1254), William and James Cavalcabò (1307 and 1315). This weakness led the city to enter political and economic orbit of Milan. In 1334, the act of submission, Cremona was under the guidance of Azzone Visconti. The aggregation to the Visconti Signoria became the port of Cremona, from business structure to a naval base and military.
The sales and growthIn 1420 Cremona was sold to Philip Maria Visconti for 40,000 gold florins. The Visconti domination proved very profitable: in 1441, the church of S. Sigismondo, Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza, were married. The love of Bianca Maria Cremona secured a long fifty years of further prosperity and growth for the city center.

itinerary luthier

The itinerary includes a visit single-issue focuses on the great tradition of violin making and violin  
begins the hall of the palace of the town with historical instruments from the Civic Collection, goes in front of the tombstone of Public gardens already occupied by the church of S. Dominic was buried A. Stradivari, whose house is still visible in bridal Corso Garibaldi 57, Ranked # 178 to meet more of Corso Garibaldi Palazzo Raimondi based International School of Violin Making, organology and the Museum School Musical Paleography and Philology. Much of the material remained in the workshop of Stradivari after his death then forms the core of the Stradivari Museum in Via Palestro 17, while in Fodri Palace (Corso Matteotti 17) you can visit the Centre of Cremonese violin making, a prestigious showcase permanent account that the persistence of this tradition of craftsmanship in the city.