Would you like to visit Cremona in a day? In your itinerary, don’t fail to include Town Square, the Torrazzo, the Violin Museum, and a taste of nougat!
Are you planning a city trip and looking for ideas for visiting Cremona in a day? A city of music and sweet temptations, it is famous for its violins and its typical products, including delicious nougat. Here are the must-sees to savor all its charms, even if you are short on time.
The Torrazzo and the Renaissance historic center
The heart of the historic center, Piazza del Comune is a treasure trove of architectural gems and an essential starting point for visiting Cremona. Its most famous monument is the Torrazzo, an ancient bell tower that has also become the city’s icon. From its 112 meters, you can stretch your gaze over the red rooftops of Cremona and the Po River. To enjoy this fantastic view, you will have to face about 500 steps, but it will be worth it ©
Piazza del Comune will also enchant you with the Duomo, embellished with decorations in Renaissance and Baroque Gothic style of its white facade, and with the Baptistery, where Romanesque and Lombard Gothic art meet. The grandiose vision is completed by the Palazzo Comunale, with its frescoes from the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries (in short, a Renaissance city, just like Mantua).
If, after your fill of culture, you really can’t give up a pinch of shopping, let yourself be kidnapped by the nearby windows of Corso Mazzini!
Master-crafted instruments on display at the Violin Museum
Cremona is the world’s violin-making capital and its glorious tradition has been linked to its prestigious workshops since the Renaissance Visit Matera with children: souvenirs from Sasso Caveoso
How can you return from a vacation with the kids without a souvenir? So, your tour of the city must definitely include some pleasant shopping to discover the typical handicrafts of Matera: tiliutarie. Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri are the great names that contributed to the international fame of this city, which to this day continues its mission as the home of accomplished violin master artisans.
© Museo del Violino Cremona
Get ready for an exciting meeting with the Masters: the Violin Museum, dedicated to five centuries of violin-making in Cremona, located a few meters from Piazza del Comune, you can admire precious luthiers’ implements, documents and multimedia installations.
© Museo del Violino Cremona – ph. Mino Boiocchi
Cremona is also the birthplace of Claudio Monteverdi, a brilliant innovator of musical language; several high-level festivals commemorate his memory that will captivate you with sublime melodies. Until December, to mark the 450th anniversary of the composer’s birth, the city will host exhibitions, concerts and events dedicated to the Monteverdian year.
Nougat and other irresistible sins of gluttony
The city’s boasts not only a musical excellence, but a gastronomic one too. Can we avoid mentioning the city’s irresistible nougat known as torrone di cremona? According to tradition, this sweet was first served in 1441, on the occasion of the wedding of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti, in a special version molded in the shape of the Torrazzo.
© Pasticceria Fieschi Cremona
A traditional Christmas favorite, this special nougat is one of Cremona’s undisputed protagonists of the local food tradition, together with mostarda. The perfect place to taste both specialties? The Fieschi pastry store, synonymous with quality craftsmanship since 1867, is located near the Violin Museum.
A Cremona con Itabus
Having taken you to Modena and its surroundings, or to Mantua to see the Mincio Park, Itabus can also take you to Cremona! Thanks to the high speed rail + bus combination, you can plan an enjoyable city trip by taking advantage of many daily connections from the station of Reggio Emilia. Dessert cravings? 🙂
