CREMONA private tour: beautiful, historic close to Milan – Milan, Italy

EXPERIENCE:

The guided tour of Cremona will take you to discover the historic center where there are its most important monuments.
We start by visiting the Church of Sant ‘Agostino in Lombard Gothic style which was remodeled in the 1500s and which contains the beautiful Altarpiece by Perugino and a series of marble statues. A few steps away we can admire the house where the most illustrious citizen of Cremona lived with his first wife in the 1600s, the famous luthier Antonio Stradivari, famous throughout the world for his violins and their unique sound; for this Cremona dedicated a statue to him in front of the house.

Walking through the alleys of the historic center, we will visit the most beautiful square of the town, Piazza del Comune, where the most important and historical civil and religious buildings are concentrated, starting from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with the beautiful facade in white Carrara marble and Verona red, a large rose window, a two-storey loggia and two lions at the base of the columns that amaze visitors; visiting the interior of the church we will notice the very high ceiling, the Great Cross from the altar in gold and silver and the rich series of precious frescoes that gave the church the nickname of the Sistine Chapel of the Po Valley.
On one side of the Cathedral stands the Torrazzo, the highest bell tower in Europe with its 112 meters and built entirely of brick, which has become the symbol of Cremona with its large astronomical clock set and the golden sphere placed on the top where it is preserved a piece of the Cross of Jesus and other relics.

The guided tour continues by visiting the Baptistery with an octagonal plan dating back to 1100 and the medieval Town Hall which has been used for over 800 years; we will visit the violin room, the Consulta room and the paintings room and from which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Duomo and Torrazzo. Before leaving the square we pause on the Loggia dei Militi, one of the historic buildings of the town and head towards the places where the ancient pastry shops are located such as Sperlari and Vergari where the famous Cremonese nougat originates, in addition to the chocolate, jams and mustards typical of the area; among the alleys we also find the lutherie shops, there are about 150, where still today violins, stringed instruments and strings are made. We end the tour with an external visit to the Violin Museum where you can see Stradivarius violins and listen to reproductions of great concerts.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Explore the Church of S. Agostino with the precious Altarpiece by Perugino and the house of the famous luthier Antonio Stradivari (external visit)
Visit the Cathedral which is also overlooked by the Torrazzo (the highest bell tower in Italy), the Baptistery and the Loggia dei Militi
Stroll through the alleys of the center among the historic pastry shops and the workshops of the masters who make violins, admiring the Violin Museum

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