Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, situated in
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
, on the left bank of the
Po river
The Po ( , ) is the longest river in Italy. It flows eastward across northern Italy, starting from the Cottian Alps. The river's length is , or if the Maira (river), Maira, a right bank tributary, is included. The headwaters of the Po are forme ...
in the middle of the
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain (, , or ) is a major geographical feature of northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetian Plain, Venetic extension not actu ...
. It is the capital of the
province of Cremona
The province of Cremona (; Cremunés dialect, Cremunés: ; ; Emilian dialects, Casalasco-Viadanese: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital city is Cremona.
The province occupies the central section of Pa ...
and the seat of the local city and province governments. The city of Cremona is especially noted for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most renowned
luthier
A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments.
Etymology
The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...
s, such as
Giuseppe Guarneri
Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his i ...
,
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...
,
Francesco Rugeri
Francesco Rugeri ( – 28 October 1698), also known as Ruger, Rugier, Rugeri, Ruggeri, Ruggieri, Ruggerius, was the first of an important family of luthiers, the Casa Rugeri in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are masterfully constructed. His viol ...
,
Vincenzo Rugeri
Vincenzo Rugeri (30 September 1663 – 4 May 1719) (also known as Ruger, Rugier, Rugieri, Ruggeri, Ruggieri, Ruggerius), was an Italian luthier of string instruments such as violins, cellos, and, violas in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are noted ...
, and several members of the
Amati
Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nico ...
family.
History
Ancient
Celtic origin
Cremona is first mentioned in history as a settlement of the
Cenomani, a
Gallic (
Celt
The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
ic) tribe that arrived in the
Po valley around 400 BC. However, the name Cremona most likely dates back to earlier settlers and puzzled the ancients, who gave many fanciful interpretations.
Roman military outpost
In 218 BC the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
s established on that spot their first military outpost (a ) north of the Po river, and kept the old name. Cremona and nearby Placentia (modern
Piacenza
Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
, on the south bank of the Po), were founded in the same year, as bases for penetration into what became the Roman
Province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of ''
Gallia Cisalpina
Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy.
Afte ...
'' (
Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul (, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the name given, especially during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, to a region of land inhabited by Celts (Gauls), corresponding to what is now most of northern Italy.
Afte ...
). Due to the trade importance of the town, from it started the
Via Brixiana
The ''Via Brixiana'', or ''Via Cremonensis'', was a Roman road created during the Roman-Gallic wars in the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul. It connected Cremona to Brescia, from which Roman roads passed and then branched out towards the entire N ...
a
Roman road
Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
which connected ''Brixia'' (
Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
) to Cremona.
Cremona quickly grew into one of the largest towns in northern Italy, as it was on the main road connecting
Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
to
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...
, the
Via Postumia
The Via Postumia was an ancient military Roman road of northern Italy constructed in 148 BC by the ''consul'' Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus.
It ran from the coast at Genoa through the mountains to Dertona, Placentia (the termination of the ...
. It supplied troops to
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
and benefited from his rule, but later supported
Marcus Iunius Brutus and the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
in their conflict with
Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
, who, having won, in 40 BC confiscated Cremona's land and redistributed it to his men. The famous poet
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...
, who went to school in Cremona, had to forfeit his ancestral farm ("too close to wretched Cremona"), but later regained it.
Destruction
The city's prosperity continued to increase until 69 AD, when it was sacked and destroyed in the
Second Battle of Bedriacum
The Battle of Bedriacum refers to two battles fought during the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69) near the village of Bedriacum (now Calvatone), about from the town of Cremona in northern Italy. The fighting in fact took place between Bedriacu ...
by the troops of
Vespasian
Vespasian (; ; 17 November AD 9 – 23 June 79) was Roman emperor from 69 to 79. The last emperor to reign in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for 27 years. His fiscal reforms and consolida ...
under command of
Marcus Antonius Primus
Marcus Antonius Primus (born between 20 AD and 35 AD – died after 81 AD) was a senator and general of the Roman Empire.
Biography Early life
Primus was born at Tolosa (Toulouse) in Gaul. Possibly he was descended from Gauls who had been enfranc ...
, fighting to install him as Emperor against his rival
Vitellius
Aulus Vitellius ( ; ; 24 September 1520 December 69) was Roman emperor for eight months, from 19 April to 20 December AD 69. Vitellius became emperor following the quick succession of the previous emperors Galba and Otho, in a year of civil wa ...
. The sacking was described by
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars.
Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...
in Histories.
Cremona was rebuilt with the help of the new emperor Vespasian, but it seems to have failed to regain its former prosperity as it disappeared from history.
Re-emergence
In the 6th century, it resurfaced as a military outpost of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire during the
Gothic War.
Early Middle Ages
When the
Lombards
The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774.
The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...
invaded much of Italy in the second half of the 6th century AD, Cremona remained a
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...
stronghold as part of the
Exarchate of Ravenna
The Exarchate of Ravenna (; ), also known as the Exarchate of Italy, was an administrative district of the Byzantine Empire comprising, between the 6th and 8th centuries, the territories under the jurisdiction of the exarch of Italy (''exarchus ...
. The city expanded towards the north-west, with the creation of a great trenched camp outside the walls.
Lombard Possession
In 603 AD, Cremona was conquered by the Lombard King
Agilulf
Agilulf ( 555 – April 616), called ''the Thuringian'' and nicknamed ''Ago'', was a duke of Turin and king of the Lombards from 591 until his death.
A relative of his predecessor Authari, Agilulf was of Thuringian origin and belonged to t ...
and again destroyed. Its territory was divided between the two duchies of
Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
and
Bergamo
Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...
.
However, in 615 AD, Queen
Theodelinda
Theodelinda, also spelled ''Theudelinde'' ( 570 – 628 AD), was a queen of the Lombards by marriage to two consecutive Lombard rulers, Autari and then Agilulf, and regent of Lombardia during the minority of her son Adaloald, and co-regent when ...
, a devout Roman Catholic intent on converting her people, had Cremona rebuilt and re-installed a bishop there.
Holy Roman Vassal
Control of the city fell increasingly to its bishop, who became a
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
vassal after
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
's conquest of Italy. In this way, Cremona increased its power and its prosperity steadily and some of its bishops had important roles between the 10th and 11th centuries. Bishop
Liutprand of Cremona
Liutprand, also Liudprand, Liuprand, Lioutio, Liucius, Liuzo, and Lioutsios ( – 972),"LIUTPRAND OF CREMONA" in ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', Oxford University Press, New York & Oxford, 1991, p. 1241. was a historian, diplomat, and t ...
was a member of the Imperial court under the
Saxony
Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
dynasty and
Olderic gained strong privileges for his city from emperor
Otto III
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu.
Otto III was c ...
. Its economy was boosted by the creation of a river port out of the former Byzantine fortress.
However, the two bishops Lambert and Ubaldo created discord with the city's people. Emperor
Conrad II
Conrad II (, – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdom ...
settled the quarrel by entering Cremona in 1037 together with the young
Pope Benedict IX
Pope Benedict IX (; ), born Theophylactus of Tusculum in Rome, was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States for three periods between October 1032 and July 1048 (1032–1044; 1045; 1047–1048). Aged about 20 when first elected, he may h ...
.
Medieval Commune
Under
Henry IV, Cremona refused to pay the oppressive taxes requested by the Empire and the bishop. According to a legend, the great ''gonfaloniere'' (mayor)
Giovanni Baldesio of Cremona faced the emperor himself in a duel. As Henry was knocked from his horse, the city was saved the annual payment of the golden ball, which, for that year, was instead given to Berta, Giovanni's girlfriend, as her dowry.
Anti-Empire
The first historical news about a free Cremona is from 1093, as it entered into an anti-Empire alliance led by
Mathilde of Canossa, together with
Lodi,
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and
Piacenza
Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
. The conflict ended with Cremona gaining the ''Insula Fulcheria'', the area around the nearby city of
Crema, as its territory.
After that time, the new commune warred against nearby cities to enlarge its territory. In 1107 Cremona conquered
Tortona
Tortona (; , ; ) is a ''comune'' of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Spinetta Marengo, Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines. Its ''frazione'' of ...
, but four years later its army was defeated near
Bressanoro.
As in many northern Italian cities, the people were divided into two opposing parties, the
Guelphs
The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were Political faction, factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th ...
, who were stronger in the ''new city'', and the
Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centurie ...
, who had their base in the ''old city''. The parties were so irreconcilable that the former built a second Communal Palace, the still existing
Palazzo Cittanova ("new city's palace").
Pro-Empire
When
Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March 115 ...
descended into Italy to assert his authority, Cremona sided with him in order to gain his support against Crema, which had rebelled with the help of
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. The subsequent victory and its loyal imperial stance earned Cremona the right to create a mint for its own coinage in 1154. In 1162, Imperial and Cremonese forces assaulted Milan and destroyed it.
Lombard League

However, in 1167 the city changed sides and joined the
Lombard League
The Lombard League (; ) was an alliance of cities formed in 1167, and supported by the popes, to counter the attempts by the Hohenstaufen Holy Roman emperors to establish direct royal administrative control over the cities of the Kingdom of It ...
. Its troops were part of the army that, on 29 May 1176, defeated Barbarossa in the
Battle of Legnano
The battle of Legnano was a battle between the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa and the troops of the Lombard League on 29 May 1176, near the town of Legnano, in present-day Lombardy, Italy. Although the presence of the enemy nearby was al ...
. However, the Lombard League did not survive this victory for long. In 1213, at
Castelleone
Castelleone (; Cremonese dialect, locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italy, Italian region of Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about northwest of Cremona.
Castelleone borders the following m ...
, the Cremonese defeated the League of
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Lodi,
Crema,
Novara
Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...
,
Como
Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...
and
Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
.
In 1232, Cremona allied itself with Emperor
Frederick II, who was again trying to reassert the Empire's authority over Northern Italy. In the
Battle of Cortenuova
The Battle of Cortenuova (sometimes spelled Cortenova) was fought on 27 November 1237 in the course of the Guelphs and Ghibellines Wars: in it, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II defeated the Second Lombard League.
Background
In 1235 Emperor Fr ...
, the Cremonese were on the winning side. Thereafter Frederick often held his court in the city.
In the
Battle of Parma
The Battle of Parma was fought on 18 February 1248 between the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and the Lombard League. The Guelphs attacked the Imperial camp when Frederick II was away. The Imperial forces were defeated and much of F ...
, however, the
Ghibelline
The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centu ...
s suffered a heavy defeat and up to two thousand Cremonese were made prisoners. Some years later, Cremona took its vengeance by defeating Parma's army. Its army, under the command of
Umberto Pallavicino, captured Parma's
carroccio
A carroccio (; ) was a large four-wheeled wagon bearing the city signs around which the militia of the medieval communes gathered and fought. It was particularly common among the Lombard, Tuscan and, more generally, northern Italian municipali ...
and for centuries kept the enemy's trousers hanging from the
Cathedral's ceiling as a sign of the rival's humiliation.
In 1301 the
troubadour
A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''.
The tr ...
Luchetto Gattilusio was of Cremona. During this period Cremona flourished and reached a population of up to 80,000, larger than the 69,000 of 2001.
Seignory Lords
In 1266, Pallavicino was expelled from Cremona, and the Ghibelline rule ended after his successor
Buoso da Dovara relinquished control to a consortium of citizens. In 1271 the position of ''Capitano del Popolo'' ("People's Chieftain") was created.
In 1276 the
Signoria
A ''signoria'' () was the governing authority in many of the Italian city-states during the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
The word ''signoria'' comes from ''signore'' (), or "lord", an abstract noun meaning (roughly) "government", "governi ...
passed to marquis Cavalcabò
Cavalcabò; in 1305 he was succeeded by his son Guglielmo Cavalcabò, who held power until 1310. During this period many edifices were created or restored including the belfry of the
Torrazzo
Torrazzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about southwest of Biella.
Torrazzo borders the following municipalities: Bollengo, Burolo, Chiaveran ...
, the
Romanesque church of San Francis, the cathedral's transepts and the Loggia dei Militi. Moreover, agriculture was boosted with a new network of canals.
After some foreign invasions (notably that of Emperor
Henry VII in 1311), the Cavalcabò lasted until 29 November 1322, when a more powerful family, the
Visconti
Visconti is a surname which may refer to:
Italian noble families
* Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447
** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan
* Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...
of
Galeazzo I, came to prominence that in Cremona was to last for a century and a half. The Visconti's signoria (lordship) was interrupted in 1327 by
Ludwig the Bavarian
Louis IV (; 1 April 1282 – 11 October 1347), called the Bavarian (, ), was King of the Romans from 1314, King of Italy from 1327, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1328 until his death in 1347.
Louis' election as king of Germany in 1314 was cont ...
, in 1331 by
John of Bohemia
John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...
, and in 1403 by a short-lived return of the Cavalcabò. On 25 July 1406, captain
Cabrino Fondulo killed his employer Ubaldo Cavalcabò along with all the male members of his family, and assumed control over Cremona. However, he was unable to face the task, and ceded the city back to the Visconti for a payment of 40,000 golden florins.
Thus
Filippo Maria Visconti
Filippo Maria Visconti (3 September 1392 – 13 August 1447) was the duke of Duchy of Milan, Milan from 1412 to 1447. Reports stated that he was "paranoid", but "shrewd as a ruler." He went to war in the 1420s with Romagna, Republic of Florenc ...
made his signoria hereditary. Cremona became part of the
Duchy of Milan
The Duchy of Milan (; ) was a state in Northern Italy, created in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then the lord of Milan, and a member of the important Visconti of Milan, Visconti family, which had been ruling the city since 1277. At that time, ...
, following its fate until the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century Political movement, political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, annexation of List of historic states of ...
. Under the Visconti and later the
Sforza
The House of Sforza () was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan. Sforza rule began with the family's acquisition of the Duchy of Milan following the extinction of the Visconti of Milan, Visconti family in the mid-15th century and ...
, Cremona underwent high cultural and religious development. In 1411 Palazzo Cittanova become the seat of the university of
fustian
Fustian is a variety of heavy cloth woven from cotton, chiefly prepared for menswear.
History and use
Known in Late Latin as ''fustaneum'' or ''fustanum'' and in Medieval Latin as ''pannus fustāneus'' ('fustian cloth') or ''tela fustāne ...
merchants.
In 1441 the city hosted the marriage of
Francesco I Sforza
Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) Duke of Milan, duke from 1450 until his death.
In the 1420s, he participated in the ...
and
Bianca Maria Visconti
Bianca Maria Visconti (31 March 1425 – 28 October 1468) also known as Bianca Maria Sforza or Blanca Maria was Duchess of Milan from 1450 to 1468 by marriage to Francesco I Sforza. She was regent of Marche during the absence of her spouse in 14 ...
in the temple built by the
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
s, which today is the church of Saint Sigismund. For that occasion a new
sweet
Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...
was devised, which evolved into the famous
torrone.
Ludovico il Moro
Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; 'the Moor'), and called the "arbiter of Italy" by historian Francesco Guicciardini, assisted in the financing of several building projects for the cathedral, the church of St. Agatha and the Communal Palace.
In 1446, Cremona was encircled by the
condottieri
Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...
troops of
Francesco Piccinino
260px, Latin epitaph of Francesco Piccinino.
Francesco Piccinino (c. 1407 – 16 October 1449) was an Italian condottiero.
He was the adopted son of the condottiero Niccolò Piccinino, (1386-1444), making him the adopted brother of Jacopo Pi ...
and
Luigi dal Verme
Luigi dal Verme (c. 1390 – 1449), also known as Alvise dal Verme, was an Italian condottiero.
Dal Verme was the son of the condottiero and Seigneur of Sanguinetto Jacopo dal Verme and a member of the Verona branch of the noble family, initia ...
. The siege was raised after the arrival of
Scaramuccia da Forlì from
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
.
Foreign occupations
Republic of Venice
From 1499 to 1509 Cremona was under Venetian control.
The victory of the Italian League at
Agnadello gave it back to the Duchy of Milan.
Spain
However, Cremona was assigned to
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
under the
Treaty of Noyon
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...
(1513). Cremona fell to the new rulers only in 1524 when the Castle of Santa Croce surrendered. The French were finally expelled from the duchy two years later, with the
Treaty of Madrid, and subsequently Cremona remained a Spanish dominion for many years. During that time several building improvements or additions were made, including the Loggia of the cathedral's Porch by
Lorenzo Trotti (1550) and the new church of San Siro and Sepolcro by
Antonio Gialdini (1614).
During Spanish rule, Cremona saw the famine of 1628 and the
plague of 1630.
Austria
The duchy, after a short-lived French conquest in 1701 during the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
, passed to Austria on 10 April 1707.

''For later history, see
Lombardy
The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
''
Government
Demographics
Architecture
Churches
The
Cathedral of Cremona
Cremona Cathedral (, ''Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta''), dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Catholic Church, Catholic cathedral in Cremona, Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Cremona. Its bell t ...
with the annexed
Baptistery
In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...
constitutes one of the most notable sites for Romanesque-Gothic art in northern Italy.
Other churches include:
*
Sant'Agata
*
Sant'Agostino
*
San Facio
*
San Girolamo
*
San Luca
San Luca is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in Italy, located about southwest of Catanzaro and about east of Reggio Calabria. The town is situated on the eastern slopes of the Aspromonte mountains and in the val ...
*
Santa Lucia
*
San Marcellino
San Marcellino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about northwest of Naples and about southwest of Caserta.
San Marcellino borders the following municipalities: Aversa, Casapesenna, ...
*
San Michele
*
San Pietro al Po
*
Santa Rita
*
San Sigismondo
Buildings
*The
Torrazzo
Torrazzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Biella in the Italy, Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about southwest of Biella.
Torrazzo borders the following municipalities: Bollengo, Burolo, Chiaveran ...
, the third highest
brickwork
Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall.
Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by ...
bell tower in Europe
*
Loggia dei Militi
*
Palazzo Cittanova
*
Palazzo Fodri
*
Palazzo Comunale
A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...
*
Teatro Ponchielli
*
Museo Berenziano
*
Museo della Civiltà Contadina
*
Museo Civico Ala Ponzone
Museo Civico Ala Ponzone is a public museum and art gallery located in the 16th-century Palazzo Affaitati in Cremona, Italy.
History
The core of the original collection was donated in 1842 by Giuseppe Sigismondo Ala Ponzone and was supplemented ...
*
Museo del violino
The Violin Museum (), formerly the Stradivarius Museum (Italian: Museo Stradivari), is a musical instrument museum located in Cremona. The museum is best known for its collection of stringed instruments that includes violins, violas, cellos, and ...
Economy
The economy of Cremona is deeply linked to the agricultural production of the countryside. Food industries include salted meat, sweets (
torrone), vegetable oils,
grana padano
Grana Padano is an Italian cheese originating in the Po Valley. It is similar to Parmesan but with less strict regulations governing its production. This hard, crumbly- textured cheese is made with unpasteurized cows' milk that is semi- skim ...
,
provolone
Provolone (, ) is an Italian semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is an aged ''pasta filata'' ('stretched-curd') cheese originating in the Campania region, near Vesuvius, where it is still produced in pear, sausage, or cone shapes long. P ...
and "
mostarda" (candied fruit in spicy mustard-flavored syrup, served with meats and cheese). Heavy industries include steel, oil and one electric plant. The river-port is a base for the barges transporting goods along the Po river.
Music
Cremona has a distinguished musical history. The 12th-century cathedral was a focus of organized musical activity in the region in the
late Middle Ages
The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...
. 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
Marc'Antonio Ingegneri (also spelled Ingegnieri, Ingignieri, Ingignero, Inzegneri) (c. 1535 or 1536 – 1 July 1592) was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance. He was born in Verona and died in Cremona. Even though he spent most of his life ...
taught there;
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...
was his most famous student, before leaving for
Mantua
Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
in 1591. Cremona was the birthplace of
Pierre-Francisque Caroubel, a collaborator with noted German composer
Michael Praetorius
Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and Music theory, music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of ...
. The
bishop of Cremona
The Diocese of Cremona () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Milan. The bishop of Cremon ...
, Nicolò Sfondrati, a fervent supporter of the
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
, became
Pope Gregory XIV
Pope Gregory XIV (; ; 11 February 1535 – 16 October 1591), born Niccolò Sfondrato or Sfondrati, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 December 1590 to his death, in October 1591.
Early career
Niccolò S ...
in 1590. Since he was an equally fervent patron of music, the renown of the town as a musical destination grew accordingly.
Beginning in the 16th century, Cremona became renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, with the violins of the
Amati
Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nico ...
and
Rugeri families, and later the products of the
Guarneri
The Guarneri (, , ), often referred to in the Latinized form Guarnerius, is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati ...
and
Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', as well as the colloqui ...
workshops. To the present day, their handmade work is widely considered to be the summit of achievement in string instrument making. Cremona is still renowned for producing high-quality instruments, rare examples of which can be seen when visiting the local
Museo del Violino
The Violin Museum (), formerly the Stradivarius Museum (Italian: Museo Stradivari), is a musical instrument museum located in Cremona. The museum is best known for its collection of stringed instruments that includes violins, violas, cellos, and ...
. In 2012 the "''
Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona
Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona () was declared an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2012, during the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Paris. The Cremona's traditional ...
''" was declared an
intangible cultural heritage
An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. Internationally, the city's craftsmen are renowned for the unique process used in crafting bowed stringed instruments which are assembled and moulded by hand without using any industrial materials.
Cremona had a band tradition linked to the ''Guardia nazionale'' founded under Napoleonic influence. In 1864, native son
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera La Gioconda (opera), ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla.
Life and work
Born in Paderno Fasolaro ( ...
became its leader and created what might be considered one of the greatest bands of all time. In his role as ''capobanda'', Ponchielli founded a band school and a tradition that waned only at the onset of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.
Transport
Cremona railway station, opened in 1863, is a terminus of six railway lines, all of which are regional (semi-fast) or local services.
Main destinations are
Pavia
Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086.
The city was a major polit ...
,
Mantua
Mantua ( ; ; Lombard language, Lombard and ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lombardy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, eponymous province.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the "Italian Capital of Culture". In 2 ...
,
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Treviglio
Treviglio (; ) is a town and (i.e. municipality) in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Northern Italy. It lies south of the province capital, in the lower territory called .
It is also part of the geographic area named , included among the r ...
,
Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
,
Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
,
Piacenza
Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
and
Fidenza
Fidenza (, locally ) is a town and (municipality) in the province of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It has around 27,000 inhabitants. The town was renamed Fidenza in 1927, recalling its ancient Rome, Roman name of ; before, it was ...
.
Sport
Cremona's favourite sport is
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
. The
U.S. Cremonese
Unione Sportiva Cremonese, commonly referred to as Cremonese, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Cremona, Lombardy, which plays in Serie A following their promotion from Serie ...
played for several years in
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, its most renowned players being
Aristide Guarneri,
Emiliano Mondonico
Emiliano Mondonico (9 March 1947 – 29 March 2018) was an Italian professional association football, footballer and Coach (sport), coach. He played as a winger (association football), winger.
His playing career was spent mostly with U.S. Cremon ...
,
Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini (; born 8 October 1957) is an Italian professional football manager and a former player. He played as a left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team. Cabrini was nicknamed ''Bell'A ...
and
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli (; 9 July 1964 – 5 January 2023) was an Italian football player and manager who played as a striker. Vialli started his club career at his hometown club Cremonese in 1980, where he made 105 league appearances and scored 23 g ...
— all born in or near Cremona. The brightest page in the more than one-century-old history of Cremonese was written in the early 1990s, when the president of the team was Domenico Luzzara and the coach was
Gigi Simoni; the team managed to stay in Serie A for three consecutive years, ending one championship at tenth place. By defeating English team
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
in the Final to win the
Anglo-Italian Cup
The Anglo-Italian Cup (, also known as the Anglo-Italian Inter-League Clubs Competition and from 1976 to 1986 as the Alitalia Challenge Cup, Talbot Challenge Cup or Gigi Peronace Memorial) was a European football competition.
The competition was ...
(27 March 1993), Cremonese became the second Italian team in football history to win at
Wembley
Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in the London Borou ...
.
Cremona, by the 1980s, had built a strong basketball tradition, now brought on by
Vanoli Basket, a team from
Soresina
Soresina ( Soresinese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cremona in the Italian region Lombardy, located about southeast of Milan and about northwest of Cremona.
It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree ...
which however usually plays in Cremona.
Cremona has also a
waterpolo
Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with more ...
club that play in the regional divisions.
There is a century-old tradition in
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
and
canoe racing
A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
In British English, the term ' ...
, with three different clubs, located along the Po river, that trained many world and Olympic champions.
Twin towns — sister cities
Cremona is
twinned with:
*
Alaquàs
Alaquàs (; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Horta Oest Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' in the Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community.
Etymology
The town's name is of Arabic origin, coming from ' ...
, Spain, since 2004
*
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yenisey, Yenisey River, and is the second-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk, with a p ...
, Russia, since 2006
*
Füssen
Füssen () is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Sc ...
, Germany, since 2018
Notable people
Notable people born in or associated with Cremona include:
*
Publius Quinctilius Varus
Publius Quinctilius Varus (46 BC or before – September AD 9) was a Roman general and politician. Serving under Augustus, who founded the Roman Empire, he is generally remembered for having lost three Roman legions in the Battle of the Teutob ...
(46 BC – AD 9), Roman general and politician
*
Marcus Furius Bibaculus
Marcus Furius Bibaculus (1st century BC) was a Roman neoteric poet who flourished during the last century of the Republic.
Life
According to Jerome, he was born at Cremona, in 103 BC; however, scholars believe that this date is much too early and ...
(103 BC – ? BC), a Roman poet.
*
Liutprand of Cremona
Liutprand, also Liudprand, Liuprand, Lioutio, Liucius, Liuzo, and Lioutsios ( – 972),"LIUTPRAND OF CREMONA" in ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', Oxford University Press, New York & Oxford, 1991, p. 1241. was a historian, diplomat, and t ...
( – 972), bishop of Cremona, historian, and author.
*
Saint Homobonus
Saint Homobonus (, , ) is the patron saint of business people, tailors, shoemakers, and clothworkers, as well as of Cremona, Italy.
He was canonized in 1199 at the urgent request of the citizens of Cremona. He died on November 13, 1197, and hi ...
, (12th C.)
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of Cremona, as well as
business people
A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...
,
tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
s,
shoemakers
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear.
Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or '' cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cen ...
, and
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...
workers
*
Gerard of Cremona
Gerard of Cremona (Latin: ''Gerardus Cremonensis''; c. 1114 – 1187) was an Italians, Italian translator of scientific books from Arabic into Latin. He worked in Toledo, Spain, Toledo, Kingdom of Castile and obtained the Arabic books in the libr ...
(ca.1114 – 1187), translator of scientific books from Arabic into Latin.
*
Sicard of Cremona
Sicardus of Cremona (Latin: ''Sicardus Cremonensis''; Italian: ''Sicardo'') (1155–1215) was an Italian prelate, historian and writer.
Biography
Sicardus was born in Cremona, probably to the Casalaschi family, and probably in the 1150s. His bro ...
(1155–1215), prelate, historian and writer
*
Bernardino Ricca (1450-?), painter
*
Filippo de Lurano (ca.1475 – after 1520), an Italian composer of the Renaissance.
*
Marco Girolamo Vida
Marco Girolamo Vida or Marcus Hieronymus Vida (1485? – September 27, 1566) was an Italian humanist, bishop and important poet in Christian Latin literature.
Life
Marco was born at Cremona, then part of the Duchy of Milan. He was the son of ...
(ca.1489 – 1566), scholar, Latin poet and bishop.
*
Altobello Melone
Altobello Melone ( 1490–1491 – before 3 May 1543) was an Italian Painting, painter of the Renaissance.
Biography
Melone was born in Cremona. His work merges Lombard and Mannerism, Mannerist styles. In Cremona, he encountered the elder Gi ...
(ca.1490 – pre-1543) an Italian painter of the Renaissance.
*
Francesco and Giuseppe Dattaro (ca.1495 – 1576) & (ca.1540 – 1616), father and son team of architects
*
Girolamo del Prato (16th C.), sculptor and craftsman
*
Gianello della Torre (ca.1500 — 1585) Italo-Spanish clockmaker, engineer and mathematician.
*
Giulio Campi
Giulio Campi (1502 – 5 March 1572) was an Italian painter and architect. His brothers Vincenzo Campi and Antonio Campi were also renowned painters.
Biography
The eldest of a family of prominent painters, Campi was born at Cremona. His father G ...
(1500–1572), painter.
*
Andrea Amati
Andrea Amati ('' ca.'' 1505 - 1577, Cremona) was a luthier, from Cremona, Italy.
Amati is credited with making the first instruments of the violin family that are in the form we use today.
Several of his instruments survive to the present day ...
(1505–1577),
luthier
A luthier ( ; ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments.
Etymology
The word ' is originally French and comes from ''luth'', the French word for "lute". The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be ...
.
*
Bernardino Campi
Bernadino Campi (1522–1591) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cremona, who worked in Reggio Emilia. He is known as one of the teachers of Sofonisba Anguissola and of Giovanni Battista Trotti (il Malosso). In Cremona, his extended family o ...
(1522–1592), painter.
*
Costanzo Porta
Costanzo Porta (1528 or 1529 – 19 May 1601) was an Italian composer of the Renaissance, and a representative of what is known today as the Venetian School. He was highly praised throughout his life both as a composer and a teacher, and had ...
(ca.1528 – 1601), an Italian composer of the Renaissance
*
Sofonisba Anguissola
Sofonisba Anguissola ( – 16 November 1625), also known as Sophonisba Angussola or Sophonisba Anguisciola, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Cremona to a relatively poor noble family. She received a well-rounded education that ...
(ca.1532 – 1625), painter of the Renaissance.
*
Benedetto Pallavicino
Benedetto Pallavicino (c. 1551 – 26 November 1601) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance. A prolific composer of madrigals, he was resident at the Gonzaga court of Mantua in the 1590s, where he was a close associate of G ...
(ca.1551 – 1601), an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance.
*
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string instrument, string player. A composer of both Secular music, secular and Church music, sacred music, and a pioneer ...
(1567–1643), composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras.
*
Giulio Calvi
Giulio Calvi (called Il Cobonato) (c. 1570–1596) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance. He was born in Cremona
Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), ...
(ca.1570 – 1596), an Italian painter of the Renaissance.
*
Luca Cattapani (born ca.1570) an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance
*
Gaspare Aselli (1581–1626), physician.
*
Tarquinio Merula
Tarquinio Merula (24 November 1595 – 10 December 1665) was an Italian composer, organist, and violinist of the early Baroque era. Although mainly active in Cremona, stylistically he was a member of the Venetian school. He was one of the most pr ...
(1595–1665), an Italian composer, organist and violinist of the early Baroque era.
*
Nicolò Amati
Nicola Amati, Nicolò Amati or Nicolao Amati (, ; 3 September 1596 – 12 April 1684) was an Italians, Italian master luthier from Cremona, Italy. Amati is one of the most well-known luthiers from the Amati, Casa Amati (House of Amati). He was t ...
(1596–1684), luthier.
*
Francesco Rugeri
Francesco Rugeri ( – 28 October 1698), also known as Ruger, Rugier, Rugeri, Ruggeri, Ruggieri, Ruggerius, was the first of an important family of luthiers, the Casa Rugeri in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are masterfully constructed. His viol ...
(ca.1628–1698), luthier
*
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinisation of names, Latinized form of his surname, ''Stradivarius'', a ...
(c.1644–1737), renowned luthier.
*
Vincenzo Rugeri
Vincenzo Rugeri (30 September 1663 – 4 May 1719) (also known as Ruger, Rugier, Rugieri, Ruggeri, Ruggieri, Ruggerius), was an Italian luthier of string instruments such as violins, cellos, and, violas in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are noted ...
(1663–1719), luthier
*
Luigi Guido Grandi
Dom Guido Grandi, (1 October 1671 – 4 July 1742) was an Italian monk, priest, philosopher, theologian, mathematician, and engineer.
Life
Grandi was born on 1 October 1671 in Cremona, Italy and christened Luigi Francesco Lodovico. When ...
(1671–1742), monk, priest, philosopher, theologian, mathematician, and engineer
*
Giuseppe Guarneri
Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri (, , ; 21 August 1698 – 17 October 1744) was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his i ...
(1698–1744), luthier
*
Francesco Bianchi (1752–1810), an Italian opera composer.
*
Giovanni Pallavera (1818–1886), painter
*
Amilcare Ponchielli
Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera La Gioconda (opera), ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla.
Life and work
Born in Paderno Fasolaro ( ...
(1834–1886), composer.
*
Eugenio Beltrami
Eugenio Beltrami (16 November 1835 – 18 February 1900) was an Italian mathematician notable for his work concerning differential geometry and mathematical physics. His work was noted especially for clarity of exposition. He was the first to ...
(1835–1900), mathematician
*
Arcangelo Ghisleri (1855–1938), an Italian geographer, writer and Socialist politician.
*
Leonida Bissolati
Leonida Bissolati (20 February 1857 – 6 May 1920) was a leading exponent of the Italian socialist movement at the turn of the 19th century.
Early life and education
Bissolati was born in Cremona from the liaison of Paolina Bergamaschi, a nur ...
(1857–1920), leading exponent of the Italian
socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
movement at the turn of the 19th C.
*
Alve Valdemi del Mare (1885-1972), painter
*
Primo Mazzolari (1890–1959), priest and writer
*
Roberto Farinacci
Roberto Farinacci (; 16 October 1892 – 28 April 1945) was a leading Italian fascist politician and important member of the National Fascist Party before and during World War II, as well as one of its ardent antisemitic proponents. English hist ...
(1892–1945), fascist politician
*
Aldo Protti (1920–1995), an Italian baritone opera singer
*
Ugo Tognazzi
Ottavio "Ugo" Tognazzi (23 March 1922 – 27 October 1990) was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter.
He is considered one of the most important faces of Italian comedy together with Vittorio Gassman, Nino Manfredi, Marcello Mastr ...
(1922–1990) , actor, director, and screenwriter
*
Mina (born 1940), singer (nicknamed the ''Tiger of Cremona'')
*
Giovanni Lucchi (1942–2012), bowmaker
*
Franco Mari (born 1947), an Italian actor and comedian.
*
Sergio Cofferati
Sergio Cofferati (born 30 January 1948) is an Italian trade unionist and politician. He was secretary general of CGIL from 1994 to 2002, mayor of Bologna for the Democrats of the Left from 2004 to 2009, and Member of the European Parliament (MEP ...
(born 1948), member of European Parliament and former mayor of Bologna
*
Massimo Capra
Massimo Capra (born 1960) is an Italian restaurateur, restaurant consultant, cookbook author, and celebrity chef. He is known for his appearances on the television shows CityTV's '' Cityline'', Global's '' The Morning Show'', and Food Network show ...
(born 1960), Italian-born Canadian celebrity chef.
*
Sandrone Dazieri
Sandrone Dazieri (born 4 November 1964) is a popular Italian crime writer. His most famous work is the Gorilla series, an episode of which was also dramatized as a television film.
Biography
He was born in Cremona in 1964. He graduated at San Pe ...
(born 1964), crime writer
*
Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi (born 1968), Italian economist
*
Chiara Ferragni
Chiara Ferragni (; born 7 May 1987) is an Italian Internet celebrity, blogger and influencer.
Since 2021, Ferragni has been engulfed in controversy as the protagonist of the Pandorogate, Pandorogate fraud scandal in which she is alleged to hav ...
(born 1987), blogger, businesswoman, fashion designer and model
*
Quartetto di Cremona (formed 2000), Italian string quartet
Sport
*
Oreste Perri
Oreste Perri (born 27 June 1951) is an Italian sprint canoeist (and later politician) who competed from the early 1970s to the early 1980s.
Biography
Perri was born in Castelverde, in the province of Cremona. He won six medals at the ICF Canoe ...
(born 1951), sprint canoeist in the 1970s and mayor of Cremona from 2009 to 2014
*
Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini (; born 8 October 1957) is an Italian professional football manager and a former player. He played as a left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team. Cabrini was nicknamed ''Bell'A ...
(born 1957), footballer and manager
*
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli (; 9 July 1964 – 5 January 2023) was an Italian football player and manager who played as a striker. Vialli started his club career at his hometown club Cremonese in 1980, where he made 105 league appearances and scored 23 g ...
(1964–2023), footballer and manager
*
Manolo Guindani (born 1971), retired footballer and manager
*
Giacomo Gentili
Giacomo Gentili (born 3 July 1997) is an Italian rower. He is a world champion and an Olympic finalist, and competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Quadruple sculls.
He participated at the 2018 World Rowing Championships where he became world ...
(born 1997), world rowing champion
Climate
References
Bibliography
External links
City's portal*http://www.cremonamusica.com/
{{Authority control
218 BC
210s BC establishments
Roman towns and cities in Italy
Cities and towns in Lombardy
Territories of the Republic of Venice