Cremona

Cremona, a province in the Lombardy region, is the town of the 3 Ts: Torrazzo, Torrone and Tettone or Tognazzi, the famous Italian actor who was born here. Its origins date back to 218 B.C. as a Roman castrum, a permanent military encampment of the Roman army. The name of the city originated probably from the word carra meaning stone, rock. The economy is mainly based on industry, especially food industry (sweets), dairy industry (production of Auricchio cheese), salami (Negroni), sweets (Sperlari, Vergani, Barilla), engineering, oil (Tamoil refinery) and energy (AEM) industries. The production of typical food products is also important such as fruit pickles and nougat. Local craft: Cremona is famous for the production of string instruments (violins). Transport: Cremona is the berth for the barges sailing along Po river. Places to see in Cremona: the Duomo, Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral. Romanesque temple, enriched with Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance elements. Inside there are interesting sculptures and pictures. Torrazzo: it is the second highest tower built in brick. It is 110 meters high and it was built in various stages, starting from 754 (as the tradition says) and finished in 1309. On the fourth level there is the biggest astronomical clock in the world, representing the sky and the various constellations. Loggia dei Militi (Militi's Loggia): it is one of the most ancient buildings in Cremona. Built in 1292, it houses the "Società dei Militi" (Militi's Society) to which the richest noblemen in the area belonged. Its architectural structure is typical of other Lombard building dating back to the same period, with two rectangular overlapping rooms. Chiesa di San Michele: this church dates back to the Lombard period, maybe to the 8th century. The crypt has beautiful capitals dating back to the Dark Ages. Among the most important museums there are: Stradivariano Museum (dedicated to Stradivari), Museum of the Rural Culture, Municipal Museum Ala Ponzone, Municipal Gallery, Berenziano Museum