Roman colony founded in 218 b.C., as a bulwark against the Gauls, Cremona still preserves the Roman urban aspect in the grid layout of the streets in the centre.
In fact the most important monuments of the city are located in the historic centre, around the Piazza del Comune: the Torrazzo, the bell tower of the Cathedral and one of the symbol of Cremona, is also the highest bell tower in Italy; the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, started in 1107, is in Romanesque style, renovated in the following centuries with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista, with an octagonal plan form, the Loggia dei Militi, one of the oldest buildings in the city, and the Palazzo del Comune are interesting too.
One cannot talk about Cremona without mentioning the ancient art of violin making which attained absolute perfection with Antonio Stradivari. The museum, dedicated to the famous violin-maker from Cremona, preserves a rich exhibition of paper models, wooden forms and several tools belonged to Antonio Stradivari, as well as many musical instruments dated back from XVIII to XX century.