Cremona

Cremona is a city in northern Italy, located in the region of Lombardy. It sits on the left side of the Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. Cremona is the capital of the province of Cremona.

The city is famous for its musical history. Many important instrument makers, called luthiers, lived and worked there. Some of the most well-known names include Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, Vincenzo Rugeri, and several members of the Amati family. Their work has made Cremona a special place for music lovers around the world.

History

See also: Timeline of Cremona

Ancient

Celtic origin

Cremona was first recorded as a settlement of the Cenomani, a Gallic (Celtic) tribe that arrived in the Po valley around 400 BC. The name Cremona likely dates back even earlier, though its origin puzzled ancient people.

Roman military outpost

In 218 BC, the Romans built their first military camp there, calling it a colonia. Cremona and nearby Placentia (modern Piacenza) were founded in the same year as bases for moving into the Roman Province of Gallia Cisalpina (Cisalpine Gaul_). The city grew because of its importance for trade and was on the main road connecting Genoa to Aquileia, called the Via Postumia. It supplied soldiers to Julius Caesar and prospered under his rule. Later, it supported Marcus Junius Brutus and the Senate against Augustus. After Augustus won, he took Cremona's land in 40 BC and gave it to his supporters. The poet Virgil, who went to school in Cremona, lost his family farm but later got it back.

Destruction

The city grew richer until 69 AD, when it was attacked and destroyed during the Second Battle of Bedriacum by soldiers led by Vespasian. The attack was described by the writer Tacitus in his book Histories.

Cremona was rebuilt with help from the new emperor Vespasian, but it never became as wealthy again and largely disappeared from history.

Re-emergence

In the 6th century, the city became a military base for the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire during the Gothic War.

Early Middle Ages

When the Lombards invaded Italy in the late 6th century AD, Cremona stayed loyal to the Byzantine Empire and was part of the Exarchate of Ravenna. The city grew north-westward, building a large camp outside its walls.

Lombard Possession

In 603 AD, the Lombard King Agilulf captured Cremona and destroyed it. Its land was split between the areas ruled by Brescia and Bergamo.

However, in 615 AD, Queen Theodelinda rebuilt Cremona and appointed a bishop there.

Holy Roman Vassal

The city's control gradually moved to its bishop, who became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire after Charlemagne took over Italy. This helped Cremona grow stronger and richer. Some bishops became very important in the 10th and 11th centuries. Bishop Liutprand of Cremona served in the court of the Saxony dynasty ruler, and another bishop, Olderic, won important rights for the city from emperor Otto III. The city's economy improved when a river port was built from an old Byzantine fortress.

Trouble started when two bishops, Lambert and Ubaldo, argued with the people. Emperor Conrad II settled the dispute by visiting Cremona in 1037 with the young Pope Benedict IX.

Medieval Commune

Under Henry IV, Cremona refused to pay heavy taxes to the Empire and the bishop. Legend says the city leader Giovanni Baldesio fought the emperor in a duel and won, saving the city from paying a large golden ball each year.

Anti-Empire

The first record of Cremona as a free city dates to 1093, when it joined an alliance against the Empire led by Mathilde of Canossa, along with Lodi, Milan and Piacenza. The conflict ended with Cremona gaining the area around the nearby city of Crema.

After this, the new city fought other nearby towns to grow its land. In 1107 Cremona captured Tortona, but four years later its army lost a battle near Bressanoro.

The people were split into two groups, the Guelphs in the new part of the city and the Ghibellines in the old part. They were so divided that the Guelphs built a second town hall, the Palazzo Cittanova ("new city's palace").

Pro-Empire

When Frederick Barbarossa came to Italy to assert his control, Cremona supported him to gain his help against Crema, which had rebelled with help from Milan. This loyalty earned Cremona the right to make its own coins in 1154. In 1162, soldiers from Cremona and the Empire attacked and destroyed Milan.

Lombard League

However, in 1167 the city switched sides and joined the Lombard League. Cremona's soldiers were part of the army that defeated Barbarossa at the Battle of Legnano on May 29, 1176. The Lombard League did not last long after this win. In 1213, at Castelleone, Cremona's army defeated the League of Milan, Lodi, Crema, Novara, Como and Brescia.

In 1232, Cremona allied with Emperor Frederick II, who was trying again to control Northern Italy. Cremona's soldiers helped win the Battle of Cortenuova. After that, Frederick often held court in the city.

In the Battle of Parma, however, the Ghibellines lost badly and up to two thousand soldiers from Cremona were captured. Later, Cremona defeated Parma's army. Its leader Umberto Pallavicino captured Parma's war symbol and for centuries kept the enemy's trousers hanging from the Cathedral's ceiling to show their defeat.

In 1301 the poet Luchetto Gattilusio led the city as podestà. During this time Cremona grew to perhaps 80,000 people, more than the 69,000 there in 2001.

Seignory Lords

In 1266, Pallavicino was driven out of Cremona, and the Ghibelline rule ended after his successor Buoso da Dovara gave control to a group of citizens. In 1271 the role of Capitano del Popolo ("People's Chieftain") was created.

In 1276 the rule passed to marquis Cavalcabò Cavalcabò; in 1305 his son Guglielmo Cavalcabò took over, ruling until 1310. During this time many buildings were built or fixed, including the tower of the Torrazzo, the Romanesque church of San Francis, parts of the cathedral, and the Loggia dei Militi. Canals were also built to help farming.

After invasions by foreign soldiers (including Emperor Henry VII in 1311), the Cavalcabò family stayed in power until November 29, 1322, when a more powerful family, the Visconti of Galeazzo I, took control. The Visconti rule was interrupted in 1327 by Ludwig the Bavarian, in 1331 by John of Bohemia, and in 1403 by a brief return of the Cavalcabò. On July 25, 1406, captain Cabrino Fondulo killed his employer Ubaldo Cavalcabò and all the men in his family, then took control of Cremona. However, he couldn't manage the city and gave it back to the Visconti for 40,000 golden florins.

Thus Filippo Maria Visconti made his rule permanent. Cremona became part of the Duchy of Milan, sharing its history until Italy unified. Under the Visconti and later the Sforza families, Cremona saw a golden age of culture and religion. In 1411 Palazzo Cittanova became home to the university for fustian traders.

In 1441 the city hosted the wedding of Francesco I Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti in a temple built by the Benedictines, today the church of Saint Sigismund. Local stories say the city's famous nougat (torrone) was made for the celebration, though this is likely a story from the 1900s. Ludovico il Moro helped pay for several building projects for the cathedral, the church of St. Agatha and the Communal Palace.

In 1446, Cremona was surrounded by soldiers led by Francesco Piccinino and Luigi dal Verme. The siege ended when Scaramuccia da Forlì arrived from Venice.

Foreign occupations

From 1499 to 1509 Cremona was controlled by Venice.

Republic of Venice

The victory of the Italian League at Agnadello returned it to the Duchy of Milan.

Spain

However, Cremona was given to Spain under the Treaty of Noyon (1513). Cremona fell to the new rulers in 1524 when the Castle of Santa Croce surrendered. The French were finally driven out of the area two years later with the Treaty of Madrid, and Cremona stayed under Spanish rule for many years. During that time, several buildings were improved or added, including the Loggia of the cathedral's Porch by Lorenzo Trotti in 1550 and the new church of San Siro and Sepolcro by Antonio Gialdini in 1614.

During Spanish rule, Cremona faced a severe food shortage in 1628 and a disease outbreak in 1630.

Austria

The area, after a brief French attack in 1701 during the War of the Spanish Succession, passed to Austria on April 10, 1707.

For later history, see Lombardy

Government

Cremona is an important city in Italy, serving as the capital of its province and home to local government offices. You can learn more about its leaders by checking the list of mayors here.

Demographics

Architecture

Churches

The Cremona Cathedral with the Baptistery is one of the most important places for Romanesque-Gothic art in northern Italy.

Other churches in the area include:

• Sant'Agata
• Sant'Agostino
• San Facio
• San Girolamo
• San Luca
• Santa Lucia
• San Marcellino
• San Michele
• San Pietro al Po
• Santa Rita
• San Sigismondo

Buildings

Notable buildings include:

• The Torrazzo, the third highest brickwork bell tower in Europe
• Loggia dei Militi
• Palazzo Cittanova
• Palazzo Fodri
• Palazzo Comunale
• Cremona Courthouse
• Teatro Ponchielli
• Museo Berenziano
• Museo della Civiltà Contadina
• Museo Civico Ala Ponzone
• Museo del violino

Economy

Cremona's economy is closely tied to the farms around the city. Many foods come from this area, like salted meat, sweets such as torrone, vegetable oils, grana padano, provolone, and a special food called "mostarda" made of candied fruit in spicy mustard syrup. The city also has industries making steel and oil, and one place that creates electricity. The river-port helps boats carry goods along the Po river.

Music

Cremona has a rich musical history. In the late Middle Ages, the 12th-century cathedral was a key place for music in the area. By the 16th century, the town became well-known for its music. Today, there are important groups for Renaissance and Baroque music, such as the Choir & Consort Costanzo Porta, and festivals that keep Cremona as one of Italy’s top music towns. Famous composer Marc'Antonio Ingegneri taught there, and his most well-known student was Claudio Monteverdi, who later went to Mantua in 1591.

Starting in the 16th century, Cremona became famous for making musical instruments, especially violins made by families like the Amati and Rugeri. Later, the workshops of Guarneri and Stradivari created instruments that are still considered the best. Today, Cremona is known for making high-quality instruments, and some rare examples can be seen at the local Museo del Violino. In 2012, the “Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona” was named an important cultural tradition by UNESCO. The city’s craftsmen are famous for their special way of making string instruments by hand, without using any industrial materials.

Cremona also had a band tradition that began under Napoleonic influence. In 1864, local musician Amilcare Ponchielli became its leader and built one of the greatest bands ever. He also started a band school, a tradition that slowed down only when World War I began.

Transport

Cremona railway station opened in 1863 and is the end point of six railway lines. These lines offer regional and local train services.

You can travel from Cremona to places like Pavia, Mantua, Milan, Treviglio, Parma, Brescia, Piacenza, and Fidenza using these trains.

Sport

Cremona loves football. The team US Cremonese played in the top league, called Serie A, for many years. Some famous players from there are Aristide Guarneri, Emiliano Mondonico, Antonio Cabrini, and Gianluca Vialli. In the early 1990s, the team had great success and even won a match against an English team called Derby County at Wembley.

Besides football, Cremona is good at basketball too, thanks to a team named Vanoli Basket from nearby Soresina. The city also has teams for waterpolo, rowing, and canoe racing along the Po river.

Twin towns — sister cities

Cremona has friendly connections with cities in other countries. These are called twin towns or sister cities.

Cremona is linked with:

• Alaquàs in Spain since 2004
• Krasnoyarsk in Russia since 2006
• Füssen in Germany since 2018

These partnerships help the cities work together and share ideas.

Notable people

Cremona has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some well-known figures include Publius Quinctilius Varus, a Roman general, and Liutprand of Cremona, a historian and bishop. The city is also famous for its skilled musicians and instrument makers, such as Antonio Stradivari, who created wonderful violins, and Nicolò Amati, another great violin maker.

In more recent times, Cremona has produced notable artists, writers, and public figures, including Mina, a famous singer known as the Tiger of Cremona, and Chiara Ferragni, a successful fashion designer and blogger. The city continues to be a place where talented individuals grow and make their mark in the world.

Sport

Cremona has also been home to several accomplished athletes. Oreste Perri was a sprint canoeist and later served as mayor of the city. Antonio Cabrini and Gianluca Vialli were both famous football players and managers. Today, athletes like Giacomo Gentili, a world rowing champion, carry on this tradition of sports excellence.

Climate

Cremona experiences a humid subtropical climate. This means the city has hot, humid summers and cold, quite snowy winters. Rain is fairly evenly spread throughout the year, making the weather change often.