Cremona in January

We stop in Cremona on the way back from a week in La Spezia in January. We park in the centre, in Piazza Risorgimento just off Corso Garibaldi because, since it's Sunday, parking is free. Our first stop is outside Chiesa di San Luca, and attractive brick built church which is unusual because of the extra 'temple' added on to a corner to protect a fresco of Christ. 

Next stop along Corso Garibaldi is to peer up at Palazzo Stanga-Rossi di San Secondo, right up to the guttering... 

From there it's just a short walk to more fine 'palazzi', Palazzo Cittanova and the warm orange red colours of Palazzo Trecchi and violin music in the background. It's about 1 o'clock on a Sunday and the centre of Cremona is almost ghostly quiet with a soft mist dissolving in the strengthening sun and hardly anyone about, just the occasional Stradivarius statue.....

When we come out onto Piazza Stradivari there's a farmer's market which distracts us for a while. It's the first time I've ever seen cheese at 85€ a kilo, but there's also a stand manned by someone I know from our valley, what a coincidence...

The main square in Cremona is surprisingly impressive, off the tourist route of most, it instead deserves a visit. 

It's quite cold and we have the perhaps ill-advised idea of going into Caffè Pierrot right on the main square for a coffee with view. The view is indeed nice, the coffee average in quality and price (considering the view), but forget taking the dodgy lift to the underground bunker toilet if you've ever felt even slightly claustrophobic, and the 'owner'(?) behind the bar is brusque to the point of rudeness making a snide comment in Italian (she perhaps didn't think I spoke in Italian?). It leaves an unpleasant taste and perturbs me as we continue our visit.

Next stop is Palazzo Comunale. We find the entrance at the third attempt - on Sundays it's via the impressive staircase with the no-entry sign (!). It's worth a visit, free entry, fine decorated rooms 

with a more than worth it view of the square and cathedral in front, there's also an old carriage on display. It's also nice and warm after the rather damp January afternoon cold.

When we come out we wander in the direction of the Violin Museum, Cremona is famous for its violin makers, but don't actually go in because it's quite expensive, we aren't experts and we haven't got that long anyway.

In the meantime the cathedral has opened. Even from the outside it's very pleasing to the eye especially the details of the sculptures of the four prophets around the doors 

and also look up to those above, especially the one with the knife in his head!

Inside, the cathedral is impressive, first of all the Cristo Pantocratore, 

partially the reason for our visit, and for the fine almost three dimensional paintings on the entrance wall. Similarly to the church in Portovenere, the columns are mostly black, this time painted, which gives an unusual effect and contrast with the lighter frescoes and paintings. The crypt is an unexpected and surprisingly beautiful discovery. 

Entrance to the cathedral is free and although it's time to make our way to the car and back home we could easily return to gaze for longer.

On the way back through the centre, now with quite a few people around on a really quite pleasant and mild January afternoon we go into the historical Sperlari shop full of temptations such as the typical torrone of Cremona. We resist, extra travelling seems to result in extra weight despite all the walking so extra sugary calories however typical and original seem inadvisable.

Instead when we go by Palazzo Raimondi and seeing there's a (free) exhibition of Harmoniums we succumb immediately. First of all the interiors of the building, right from the handrail on the first floor to the splendid ceilings of the rooms hosting the exhibition which house are well worth a visit, 

plus of course the exhibition itself, despite the fact we know very little about these musical instruments is fascinating, especially when a visitor and the curator start to play some of them.

So many things we know so little about.....I'm also fascinated by the room housing the sheet music. 

It really is getting late, so we hurry off back to the car, once again I suspect Cremona has more to offer and we shall have to return....