Palaces

The thirteenth-century "Palazzo del Comune", the Town Hall, is opposite the Catherdral. Built in 1206, it initially consisted of one large room for public meetings. The medieval structure of the building remained unchanged until the end of the fifteenth century when the mullioned windows were then replaced with rectangular windows, and a marble balcony was added to the front central pillar. Among the most important works of art housed in the Town Hall include, "The Porta" that dates back to the second half of the sixteenth century and is on display in the stair well,  the Council Chamber displays a plaster cast of "Porta Stanga" (the original is in the Louvre),  and in other rooms hang large canvases recovered from demolished city churches, all painted by Genovesino, Malosso and Boccaccino.

Located in the square of the same name, Cittanova Palace was built in 1265. Together with the church of St. Agatha, Cittanova Palace was the core of the expansion of the medieval city. Throughout the twelfth century this palace is where the Council of the “Città Nova" (New city) met, while from 1412 it became the seat of the guild of fustian merchants. In 1756 it was used as a barracks, and thereafter as a notary archive. Restored at the end of the twentieth century, it is currently used for conferences and events.

The Fodri Palace represents one of the most significant examples of noble Lombard Renaissance, influenced by the domination of the Sforza family (at the end of the 15th C.). The elegant façade is embellished with architectural elements and decorative brickwork of exceptional workmanship. Beyond the vestibule there is the courtyard, the most interesting element of the building, which was constructed by incorporating earlier medieval buildings. Inside, preserved in two living rooms are beamed ceilings with the remains of original frescoes and whole sequences of painted wooden tablets featuring the profiles of famous people of the time.

Built in 1494, Trecchi Palace was noted for its magnificence, and was home to kings, emperors, cardinals, distinguished men and commanders, including Louis XII of France, Charles V of Spain and Garibaldi. Today Trecchi palace has a predominantly neo-Gothic style, but this derives from structural interventions that have occurred - the original decorations in terracotta are preserved in the Museum Sforzesco in Milan. Also in neo-Gothic style is the courtyard that was largely rebuilt during the Romantic period. The eighteen columns in red Verona marble, that support the vaults, come from the destroyed library of the St. Augustine monastery. The building is currently used for congresses, exhibitions and receptions.

Trecchi Palace – Ceep Courses Location >

Roberto Farinacci, a once leading member of the National Fascist Party, commissioned the Neapolitan architect Carlo Cocchia to build this palace. It remains one of the greatest achievements of the architectonic culture of the early 1940s. The Palace of Art houses the Violin Museum.

Museo del violino official website >

This palace was built in the second half of the '500s to celebrate the Affaitati family - a wealthy family of bankers and merchants, owners of a marquis in the Flanders, and financiers of the military exploits of Charles V against the Dutch - but its construction was affected by the ideas of pomp and magnificence of those who commissioned it. Inside, the richly frescoed hall is among the largest and most complex examples of Lombard BaroqueI. Today the palace houses the Civic Museum Ala Ponzone, the Natural Science Museum and the Public Library.

http://musei.comune.cremona.it/PostCE-display-ceid-18.phtml

Built around the middle of the fifteenth century and renovated in 2005, this palace houses the International School of Violin Making, which hosts students from all over the world. http://www.scuoladiliuteria.it/