Page 212 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

210  NOR THWEST IT AL Y

P Torrazzo
once met. The Piazza del Comune. Tel 0372 49 50 29.
Loggia is now a Open 10am–1pm, 2:30–6pm
war memorial. Tue–Sun. &
The Palazzo del
Comune (town hall) P Palazzo del Comune
is the other major Piazza del Comune. Tel 0372 40 72 91.
building on the Open 10am–5pm daily. Closed
square. It was during meetings, public hols. 7
rebuilt in the 1200s. E Museo Civico
The Museo Civico, Via Ugolani Dati 4. Tel 0372 40 77 70.
in a 16th­century Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun.
palazzo, houses Closed public hols. & 7
the Pinacoteca, E Museo del Violino
containing paintings, Piazza Marconi 5. Tel 0372 80 18 01.
wood carvings, the Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun.
cathedral’s treasure Closed public hols. &
and ceramics. The ∑ museodelviolino.org
Museo del Violino
has a large display of
important historic r Sabbioneta
instruments,
The Duomo on Piazza del Comune, Cremona including the Mantua. * 4,400. @ from Mantua.
n Piazza d’Armi 1 (0375 520 39).
Stradivari family
e Cremona collection of violins and master­ ( Wed am. 8 apply at tourist office.
pieces by Amati and Guarnieri. It & ∑ iatsabbioneta.org
* 72,000. V @ n Piazza del
Comune 5 (0372 40 63 91). ( Wed & also tells the history of the violin Sabbioneta is the result of a
Sat. ∑ turismo.comune.cremona.it and the importance of Cremona delightful experiment in the
in the history of violin­making. theory of Renaissance archi tec­
Cremona, a major agricultural On the eastern outskirts of ture. It was built by Vespasiano
market, is most famous for music, the town, on the road to Casal­ Gonzaga Colonna (1531–91) as
thanks to former inhabitants, such maggiore, lies the Renaissance an ideal city, and within its
as the composer Claudio Monte­ church of San Sigismondo hexagonal walls is a perfect
verdi (1567–1643) and the violin­ (closed at lunchtime). It was gridwork arrangement of streets
maker Stradivarius (1644–1737). here in a small chapel that and buildings designed on a
The town itself is dominated by Francesco Sforza married Bianca human scale. The finest
the beautiful Piazza del Comune. Visconti in 1441. The interior is buildings include the splendid
The main attraction is the decorated with 16th­century Teatro All’Antica designed by
exuberant part­Romanesque paintings, altarpieces and Scamozzi, the Palazzo Ducale
Duomo, and its bell tower – said frescoes by artists of the and the frescoed Palazzo del
to be the tallest medieval tower Cremona school (Campi family, Giardino, which may be visited
in Italy – known as the Torrazzo; Gatti and Boccaccino). as part of a tour of the town.
the two are linked by a Renais­
sance loggia. The wonderful
façade is dominated by the Antonio Stradivari and his Violins
large 13th­century rose window The city of Cremona has been
and by a number of intricate synonymous with violin­making
touches, including a small since the 1530s, when Andrea
portico with statues of the Virgin Amati’s instruments became
and saints. Inside, the Duomo is sought after at the royal
decorated with magnificent courts throughout Europe
early 16th­century frescoes and because of their superior
Flemish tapestries, as well as tone to the medieval fiddle.
paintings in the side chapels. However, it was Antonio
The top of the Torrazzo offers Stradivari, known as Stradivarius 19th-century engraving of
(1644–1737) – the pupil of
sweeping views. Outside the Andrea Amati’s grandson Niccolò – Antonio Stradivari
Duomo, note the pulpit where who raised the level of violin
itinerant preachers, including craftsmanship to genius. He went walking in the forests of the
San Bernardino of Siena, spoke. Dolomites in search of the perfect wood for his instruments.
Next to the Duomo stands an Stradivarius produced more than 1,100 violins in his workshop,
octagonal 12th­century baptistry. of which more than 400 exist today. The main stopping­off points
On the other side of the piazza on a Stradivarius tour of Cremona are the Museo di Violino, the
you can see the arcades of the string collection in the Palazzo del Comune and the great man’s
late 13th­century Loggia dei tombstone in the public gardens in Piazza Roma.
Militi, where the town’s lords
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp565–9 and pp584–90

210-211_EW_Italy.indd 210 4/4/17 5:33 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.3)
Date 13th June 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm