Description

The guided tour of Cremona and Soncino Castle, departing from Milan, is an opportunity to explore a rich area in history and at the same time romantic, which is one of the most evocative views of the Po Valley.

The guided tour will start from the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, an important sacred building of the Renaissance that preserves a valuable cycle of frescoes, among others, by Giulio Campi from Cremona. We will continue our journey to discover a real Lombard jewel, the Soncino Castle: built in the mid 15th century by Francesco Sforza, the castle, despite the many ownership changes and 19th century restorations by Luca Beltrami, still has the splendor of its origins, maintaining the decorations of Bernardino Gatti and Vincenzo Campi, also active in Milan, Pavia, Mantua and in the province of Parma. Other important decorations refer to the figure of Francesco Sforza, such as the torches and buckets of water that refer to the Sforza motto “I turn on and off”, as well as a beautiful plant decoration that recalls Leonardo’s Sala delle Asse in Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. Among internal courtyards, towers, secret passages and splendid rooms, it will seem like living an afternoon out of time, surrounded by tranquility.

Before continuing on our journey to Cremona, we will visit the Soncino Print Museum, where numerous typographic boxes, press-type printing equipment and a 19th century press are preserved, thanks to which it is possible to observe the methodology with which the individual pages they were printed as far back as 1480.

Known for the production of violins and linked to the famous luthier Antonio Stradivari, Cremona is an ancient city, whose mythical foundation is even traced back to Hercules, but which was more probably built in the Roman period, to then pass under the control of the Byzantines and later the Lombards. During the lunch break in the city it will be a must then taste a little of the famous Cremona Nougat, excellence of the Lombard city.

In Cremona we will visit the evocative collection of the violin museum, which will allow us to discover the history of the art of violin making for which the city of Cremona is universally known and curiosities and secrets of the great Antonio Stradivari.

Then we will visit the splendid Romanesque cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, emblem of the medieval splendor of the city. Inside the Cathedral, in addition to splendid sculptures by Briosco and Giovanni Antonio Piatti, also active in the Certosa di Pavia and in Milan, a beautiful early 16th century fresco cycle stands out, one of the most precious of its kind in Lombardy, with stylistic references that they range from Dürer to Giorgione, from Raphael to Michelangelo, so much so that the Duomo of Cremona earned the nickname of the Sistine Chapel of Lombardy.

The visit to the Piazza del Duomo will continue with the discovery of the splendid Baptistery, also Romanesque, and the famous Torrazzo, symbol of Cremona and known for being the second highest historic bell tower in Italy, and then continuing to visit some of the main monuments of the center, descending into the spirit of the city, which seems to bring back centuries.

At sunset we will return to Milan, satisfied by all the beauty that the city of Cremona and the Castle of Soncino will have left us in the heart, making us spend a day of relaxation and culture.

PROGRAM:

Morning

7:45 am: departure by bus from Milan

Guided tour of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Soncino – Guided tour of the Castle of Soncino and the Museum of the press – Moving to Cremona and free lunch

Afternoon

Guided tour of the violin museum – Guided tour of the Duomo and the Baptistery – Guided tour of the Torrazzo

Approximately 8.30 pm: arrival in Milan