Located in the economic-religious heart of the town, the Cathedral was the most important and ancient place of worship in Crema for centuries. Though built in the distinct Lombard-Gothic style between 1284 and 1341, its imposing façade features three arches that are typically Romanesque, and the Cathedral also retains a number of works of art by important artists from this same period. Overall the Cathedral is a unique center of culture and beauty.
Churches
The Cathedral
San Bernardino
This church was built between 1518 and 1534 and was largely renovated in the eighteenth century, which is when the slender brick bell tower was added on. The church layout comprises a large central section with six chapels on each side, and a further two chapels on either side of the presbytery. The chapels are adorned with frescoes, oil paintings and stuccoes of the greatest painters from the area.
Santa Maria delle Grazie
Located in the town center, Santa Maria delle Grazie is the second largest place of worship in Crema dedicated to The Virgin Mary, and it is decorated with stunning frescoes depicting the episodes of "Vita della Virgine (Life of the Virgin)".
Santa Maria della Croce
Built after the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Catherine degli Uberti, “Santa Maria della Croce” is a good example of Renaissance architecture in Lombardy, as well as a monument of art, and is one of the most important spiritual centers of the town. The building has a central plan pierced by three superimposed galleries, and it has chapels at the four cardinal points. The building also features a majestic central dome that is divided into eight segments, each depicting a scene of “Il trionfo della Croce (The Exaltation of the Holy Cross)”.
Santissima Trinità
This magnificently ornate church has two facades in luscious Rococo style and five side chapels that contain works of rare beauty. The most remarkable is "Nativity" by Callisto Piazza, an Italian painter that was very active in the first half of the sixteenth century. Also worth seeing are the wooden choir stalls; superbly crafted and beautifully restored.
San Benedetto
The church of San Benedetto was renovated from 1621-1623 to reconstruct the original church built on that site at the end of the sixth century, when it stood in the Lombard village of St. Benedict. The church’s exterior has a wonderful facade decorated with ionic recesses and its interior has a single nave with four chapels and is characterized by numerous gilded stucco Baroque decorations.
Discover more about Crema at: http://turismocrema.com/index.html