Located at the north wing of the Town Hall, this tower, also known as the Guelph Tower, dates back to 1286. The Tower features an effigy of St. Mark’s Lion that once resided on “Porta Ripalta”, one of the four original gates to the city. Damaged by the French in 1797, the Lion was restored by the people of Crema in 1881.
Monuments and Museums of Crema
The City Tower
Porta Serio and Porta Ombriano
Rebuilt in Neoclassical style between 1805 and 1807, the arch of “Porta Serio” dominates the eastern side of “Piazza Garibaldi”. Featuring three arches, “Porta Serio” was constructed using beams supported two lateral pillars and the two central columns. In the same period “Porta Ombriano” was also rebuilt, but for sheer ornamental purposes.
The Museums
The old convent of St. Augustine houses the Museum of Crema and its surroundings. The rich archaeological, artistic and ethnographic collections provide a broad view of the history and culture of the area of Crema from its origins to the present day. The recent acquisition of a collection of typewriters is testament to one of the most significant aspects of Crems’s industrial activities of the 20th Century.
The sections of the museum:
Art
Archaeology
Fluvial Archaeology
History
Music and Scenography
Reconstruction of a typical Cremascan house
Le Machinète - Typewriting, technology and design
The Torrazzo
Built as part of the town’s defence system, the Torrazzo was once the entrance gate to the walled city, but from 1525 onwards its services were no longer required, and the Torrazzo acquired the ornate appearance that remains today. The Torrazzo features the coat of arms of Crema on both facades (restored in 2004), and St. Mark’s Lion on the inner facade (given as a gift by Francesco II Sforza, Duke of Milan from 1525-35).
The Austro-Hungarian Market
Located in Piazza Trento e Trieste in front of the Benzoni-Donati Palace, is the Austro-Hungarian Market: Designed in late Neoclassical style in 1825 by Baldassarre Lodi Corbetta in memory of a visit by Emperor Francis I , it was built in 1842 for merchants of corn, grain, linen and silkworms. At the center of Piazza Trento e Trieste is a War Memorial, by the sculptor Dazzi, to commemorate all those who died in WWI.
The Venetian Walls
During the Venetian domination a massive curtain wall was built as part of the city’s defense system. Running 2,844 meters around the outskirts, incorportating the already existing town walls, the Venetian Walls were up to 1.30 meters thick. Although not much remains of this once massive wall, traces of it are still visible today.
Discover more about Crema at: http://turismocrema.com/index.html