Completed in 1341, Crema's photogenic cathedral sports a giant facciata a vento (wind facade) and is of typically Lombard Gothic style, which uses Romanesque devices (especially the semicircular arch) but on a far grander scale.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.11 MILES
Milan's most famous mural, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, is hidden away on a wall of the refectory adjoining the Basilica di Santa Maria delle…
25.12 MILES
A vision in pink Candoglia marble, Milan's extravagant Gothic cathedral, 600 years in the making, aptly reflects the city's creativity and ambition. Its…
26.11 MILES
Behind striking Renaissance-revival black-and-white walls, Milan’s wealthy have kept their dynastic ambitions alive long after death with grand sculptural…
25.39 MILES
Located upstairs from one of Italy’s most prestigious art schools, this gallery houses Milan’s collection of Old Masters, much of it ‘lifted’ from Venice…
25.06 MILES
A stroll around the Quadrilatero d'Oro, the world's most famous shopping district, is a must even for those not sartorially inclined. The quaintly cobbled…
27.35 MILES
One of the Italian Renaissance's most notable buildings is the splendid Certosa di Pavia. Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan founded the monastery, 10km north…
25.74 MILES
Originally a Visconti fortress, this iconic red-brick castle was later home to the mighty Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan. The castle's…
25.13 MILES
Overlooking Piazza del Duomo, with fabulous views of the cathedral, is Mussolini's Arengario, from where he would harangue huge crowds in his heyday. Now…
Nearby Central Lombardy attractions
1. Santuario di Santa Maria della Croce
0.98 MILES
One of the most striking Renaissance structures in Lombardy, the Santuario di Santa Maria della Croce lies about 1.5km north of the old town along Viale…
2. Santuario della Madonna di Caravaggio
8.6 MILES
The Santuario della Madonna di Caravaggio is a grandiose building started at the orders of Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, after an alleged…
9.04 MILES
Soncino's most impressive church is outside the old centre, about a 12-minute walk (1km) from the Rocca Sforzesca. The plain brick facade hides a fabulous…
9.23 MILES
On the north bank of the Adda river, a short stroll from the centre, this ambitious art installation blends the natural world with the religious in…
9.28 MILES
With its four stout towers, crenellations, moat and drawbridge, you can almost see the Rocca of Soncino under siege by some enemy of Milan's Sforza clan,…
9.43 MILES
Behind the San Giacomo church, this brick structure dates from the 15th century and is one of the only seven-sided towers in Italy. The number seven was…
7. Chiesa dei Santi Fermo e Rustico
9.45 MILES
One of Caravaggio's highlights is the impressive Chiesa dei Santi Fermo e Rustico, with a brick Gothic facade, fine frescoes and an imposing 16th-century…
9.46 MILES
A Jewish family on the run from persecution in Germany wound up here in the mid-15th century, changed the family name to Sonsino and began a trade that,…