45º08N 10º01E, pop (2001e) 71 600. Capital town of Cremona province, Lombardy region, N Italy; on the N bank of the R Po; an inland port on the Milan-Po Canal; noted for the violin makers who worked here during the 16th18th-c, including Amati, Guarnieri, Stradivari; birthplace of Giulio Campi, Claudio Monteverdi, Stradivari; railway; cathedral in Lombard Gothic style (110790), Gothic town hall (120645), 13th-c Torrazzo octagonal tower (111 m/364 ft high); textiles, pasta, dairy products, confectionery.
| Comune di Cremona | |
|---|---|
|
Municipal coat of arms |
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| Country | Italy |
| Region | Lombardy |
| Province | Cremona (CR) |
| Mayor | Gian Carlo Corada (since June 14, 2004) |
| Elevation | 47 m |
| Area | 231 km² |
| Population | |
| - Total (as of December 1, 2005) | 71,533 |
| - Density | 992/km² |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | 45°08′N 10°02′E |
| Gentilic | Cremonesi |
| Dialing code | 0372 |
| Postal code | 26100 |
| Patron | St. Omobono |
| - Day | November 13 |
| Website: www.comune.cremona.it | |
Cremona is a city in Northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left shore of the Po river in the middle of the Pianura padana (Po valley).
History
Ancient city
Cremona was originally a settlement of the Cenomani, a Gaul tribe. Cremona was rebuilt with the help of Vespasian himself, but it seems to have failed to regain its former prosperity as it disappeared from history for a long period.
The city in the High Middle Ages
When the Lombards invaded much of Italy in the second half of 6th century, Cremona remained a Byzantine stronghold as part of the Exarchate of Ravenna. 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 was a member of the Imperial court under the Saxony dynasty and Olderic gained strong privileges for his city from emperor Otto III. Emperor Conrad II settled the quarrel by entering in Cremona in 1037 together with the young Pope Benedict IX.
Cremona as a Commune
Under Henry IV, Cremona refused to pay the oppressive taxes requested by the Empire and the bishop. 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 and Piacenza. Cremona gained the Insula Fulcheria, the area around the nearby city of Crema, as its territory. In 1107, Cremona conquered Tortona, but four years later its army was heavily defeated near Bressanoro.
When Frederick Barbarossa 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. In 1232, Cremona allied itself with Emperor Frederick II, who was again trying to reassert the Empire's authority over Northern Italy.
Some year later Cremona took its vengeance by defeating Parma's army.
During this period Cremona flourished and reached a population of up to 80,000, compared to the 69,000 of 2001.
The Seignory
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. After some foreign invasions (notably that of Emperor Henry VII in 1311), the Cavalcabò lasted until November 29, 1322, when a more powerful family, the Visconti of Galeazzo I, came to prominence that in Cremona was to last for a century and a half. On July 25, 1406, the captain Cabrino Fondulo killed his employer Ubaldo Cavalcabò along with all the male members of his family, and assumed control over Cremona. Cremona became part of the Duchy of Milan, following its fate until the unification of Italy. Under the Visconti and later the Sforza Cremona underwent high cultural and religious development.
In 1446 Cremona was encircled by the condottieri troops of Francesco Piccinino and Luigi dal Verme.
Foreign occupations
From 1499 to 1509 Cremona was under Venetian control. 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 for long a foreign dominion.
For later history, see Lombardy
Economy
The economy of Cremona is deeply linked to the agricultural production of the countryside.
Music
Cremona has a distinguished musical history. Consort Costanzo Porta, and festivals which maintain Cremona as one of the most important town in Italy for music. The bishop of Cremona, Nicolò Sfondrato, a fervent supporter of the Counter-Reformation, became Pope Gregory XIV in 1590.
From the 16th century onwards, Cremona was renowned as a centre of musical instrument manufacture, beginning with the violins of the Amati family, and later included the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops.
Sport
Like in many other Italian cities, Cremona's favourite sport is football. The U.S. Cremonese played for several years in Serie A, its most renowned players being Aristide Guarneri, Emiliano Mondonico, Antonio Cabrini and Gianluca Vialli - all born in or near Cremona.
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