No, I’m not pulling your leg! The Torrazzo bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona was the tallest brickwork bell tower in the world when it was completed in 1309 after almost 80 years of construction! It stands at an impressive 112.7 metres (343 feet 6 inches). To this day it proudly dominates over Cremona, a city with a rich music heritage which is located on the bank of the Po River in the middle of the Po Valley (Pianura Padana).   

    

    The 112.7 metre Torrazzo bell tower of the Cathedral of Cremona. Not too bad for the year 1309!  

Cremona a City Renowned for Its Rich Musical Heritage  

    Surely you have heard of the famous Stradivarius Violin? Starting in the 16th century, Cremona became famous as a centre of musical instrument manufacture. Here, violins were made  by the Amati family and later the products of the Guarneri and Stradivari shops were all the rage! Even in our day their work is universally considered to be the peak of stringed instrument making. Cremona is still renowned for producing high-quality instruments and you can walk past many interesting little shops and watch the violin makers at work!    

  Cremona also hosts many important music festivals and schools which make it one of the most important towns in Italy.  

Stradivarius Violins

  In 2011, a pristine condition Stradivarius made in 1721 was sold in London for $15.9 million In the Spring of 2014 a Stradivarius viola was put up for a silent bid auction with a minimum bid of $45 million. It failed to reach the minimum and was not sold. 

   

  

   A statue dedicated to the famous violin makers of Cremona.          

Five Hundred and Three Steps to The Top of The Tower!  

  The day  that we visited Cremona there was a market going on and my wife @lellabird60 and mother-in-law wanted to do some shopping. I spotted the tower and took up the 503 step challenge! A sign at the entrance to the tower warned me that it would be narrow and difficult. That sounded perfect to me! 

Check Out The Views on The Way Up!

Yes, check out the views on the way up but think back to the year 1309 when the Torrazzo bell tower was without doubt the talk of the entire area and really was the tallest of the tall!

As I started up the tower I could see the people enjoying the market in the square below.

A little further up and I was greeted by these statues which had been observing the market for centuries! The first "man" has a dagger stuck into his head. Perhaps it is Peter of Verona who was killed in 1252.

I reached a good vantage point and the market was now far far below me!

It was now time to make the final ascent but this very shaky staircase was unexpected!

Looking back down to where I had come from! The rickety, crickety, wobbly staircase!

I had reached the very top! Imagine if that bell were to start ringing!

Here's a slice of the 360° view that I was rewarded with!

I hope that you enjoyed this visit to Cremona!

Until next time,

@kus-knee (The Old Dog)