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History and Music of Cremona, Italy

Cremona is a city in northern Italy known for its musical history and traditions. Some of the earliest and most renowned makers of stringed instruments, such as Antonio Stradivari and members of the Amati family, worked in Cremona. The city's economy has long been linked to agriculture but it is especially renowned as a center of musical instrument manufacture dating back to the 16th century. Key landmarks include the Cathedral with its Romanesque-Gothic art, the Torrazzo bell tower, and the Ponchielli Theatre.

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59 views2 pages

History and Music of Cremona, Italy

Cremona is a city in northern Italy known for its musical history and traditions. Some of the earliest and most renowned makers of stringed instruments, such as Antonio Stradivari and members of the Amati family, worked in Cremona. The city's economy has long been linked to agriculture but it is especially renowned as a center of musical instrument manufacture dating back to the 16th century. Key landmarks include the Cathedral with its Romanesque-Gothic art, the Torrazzo bell tower, and the Ponchielli Theatre.

Uploaded by

Ana Katić
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the

Po River. It is the capital of the province of Cremona. The city of Cremona is especially noted
for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most
renowned luthiers, such as Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, and several members of
the Amati family.

Cremona is first mentioned in history as a settlement of the Cenomani, a Gallic (Celtic) tribe
that arrived in the Po valley around 400 BC. In 218 BC the Romans established on that spot
their first military outpost (a colonia) north of the Po river, and kept the old name. The city's
prosperity continued to increase until 69 AD, when it was destroyed in the Second Battle of
Bedriacum by the troops of Vespasian, fighting to install him as Emperor against his
rival Vitellius. 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 until the 6th century, when
it resurfaced as a military outpost of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire during
the Gothic War.

The Cathedral of Cremona with the annexed Baptistery constitutes one of the most notable
sites for Romanesque-Gothic art in northern Italy.

The Torrazzo, which is said to have been first built in 754, is one of the highest
brick bell towers in the world. The world biggest astronomical clock was later
added at the fourth level of the tower.
Ponchielli Theatre - Cremona

The theatre was built around the middle of the XVIII century. After the fire of
1806 it was rebuilt on a larger scale and became one of the most prestigious
theatres of that time first with the name Concordia and, finally,
Ponchielli. Following another fire in 1824, the theatre was restored
and its stage was extended (it is now one of the biggest in Italy).

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, provolone and "mostarda" (pickled fruit). Heavy industries include steel, oil and one
electric plant. The river-port is a base for the barges transporting goods along the Po river.

Beginning in the 16th century, Cremona became renowned as a centre of musical instrument
manufacture, with the violins of theAmati family, and later the products of
the Guarneri and Stradivari shops. To the present day, their work is widely considered to be
the summit of achievement in string instrument making. Cremona is still renowned for
producing high-quality instruments.

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