What to do and see in Cremona, Lombardy: The Best Points of Interest & Landmarks

In our Bottega (workshop) near the Museo del Violino you can discover the Art of BowMaking. You can find all the materials of the bow, the tools to work on a pernambuco wood and some curiosity on old bows.

The 'Academia Cremonensis' of Cremona is founded by an expert luthier, a very well known family of bow makers and by an entrepreneur conquered by the art of Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri del Gesu'. Situated in the splendid and noble Mina Bolzesi palace, in the center of Cremona, the Academia has the objective of setting forth the continuation of the historical Cremonese tradition of lutherie within the confines of a workshop where one can live the secrets of the Grand Masters of the past. The Academia conveys the peculiarity of this craft by way of the construction of instruments and bows according to the guidelines set forth by the works of Masters such as Giovanni Lucchi for bows and Simone Fernando Sacconi for violins.

Every day: from 10.00 to 13.00 - from 14.30 to 18.00. Last ascent 30 minutes before th Torrazzo closes. Christmas, every Monday in January and February closed. The Torrazzo is one of the monument that best symbolizes the city of Cremona: it is indeed one of the highest medieval bell towers in Europe (m 112,22 – feet 368,18). The structure exemplifies the extreme accuracy of the ancient construction techniques and it is considered a perfect union between architectonic styles, which are completely different from each other. Thanks to the recent opening of the Vertical Museum, the issues related to the study of the astronomical are analyzed. Inside the 4 new halls you can find some curious historic objects and many kinds of old clocks. There’s also a fantastic Foucault’s Pendulum installation. Its oscillation demonstrates the Earth rotation from a scientific point of view. On the top of the tower you can admire a wonderful city view.

Every day: from 10.00 to 13.00 - from 14.00 to 17.30. The construction begun in March 1167. The dimensions are considerable: 34 m (111,55 ft) high, and 20,5 m (67,26 ft) in diameter. The building in Romanesque style with an octagonal plant is crowned by an elegant gallery. The entrance portal is framed by a prothyrum with two lions, like the prothyrum of the nearby Cathedral. The light filters in the Baptistery through a double series of twin lancet windows and from the lantern in the summit of the dome. In the center is placed the great octagonal baptismal font: it's a monolithic block of red Verona marble. The cistern is crowned by a small wooden sculpture of Risen Christ. The Three altars inside are dedicated to the Sorrowful Vergin, the Crucifix and St. Biagio.