Bergamo, Brescia & Cremona - The Italian Lakes - page 318

The business of city government was and still is carried out in the Palazzo Comunale MAP
GOOGLE MAP (Piazza del Comune) . Begun in the 13th century, the arcaded walkways and court-
yards of the palazzo were gradually extended and embellished through the centuries. On
the central pillar of the main facade, a marble arengario (balcony from which decrees
were made and speeches given) was added in 1507. South across a lane, the Loggia dei Militi
MAP GOOGLE MAP (Piazza del Comune) was the headquarters of the long arm of the law. A de-
lightful little Gothic gem built in 1292, it was where the captains of the citizen militia
would meet.
On Sunday, the piazza is filled with antique stalls.

Duomo
MAP GOOGLE MAP

CATHEDRAL

(Piazza del Comune; 8am-noon & 3.30-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-12.30pm & 3.30-7pm Sun) Across the square
from the Palazzo del Comune, Cremona's cathedral started out as a Romanesque basilica,
but the simplicity of the Romanesque style later gave way to an extravagance of styles -
the interior frescoes in this church are utterly overwhelming. One of the chapels contains
what is said to be a thorn from Jesus' crown of thorns.
The Duomo was finished in 1107 but badly damaged by an earthquake in 1117 and re-
built by 1190. In subsequent centuries, various embellishments left traces of Gothic,
Renaissance and baroque taste. The facade reflects this mix. Romanesque sculptures from
the prequake church adorn the facade, whose upper part is largely the result of Renais-
sance renovation. Even the lower part, while retaining something of a Romanesque fla-
vour, is the result of work in the early 16th century - notably replacing the timber frontage
with marble. The brick north facade is a fine example of Lombard Gothic.
The central nave and apse, in particular, flaunt a series of rich frescoes and paintings,
with scenes dedicated to the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ. The local, Ferrara-born
Renaissance master Boccaccio Boccaccino carried out many of them. Elegant though his
compositions are, it is the Storie di Cristo (Stories of Christ) by Pordenone that stand out.
His Crocifissione (Crucifixion) and Deposizione (Deposition) are especially powerful,
filled with curvaceous movement and voluptuous colour. Other masters who contributed
to the church's decoration include local boys Giulio Campi and Gian Francesco Bembo.
The cathedral's most prized possession is the Sacra Spina (Holy Thorn), allegedly from
the crown of thorns worn by Jesus Christ, which was donated to the church by Cremona-
born Pope Gregory XIV in 1591. It's kept behind bars in the Capella delle Reliquie , in the left