Cremona, Town Hall

The severe Town Hall of Cremona was started being built in 1206, as testified by the plaque on the façade. The building has an irregular plan and is in line with the shape of Lombard medieval municipal palaces. In 1245 the building was largely widened with the construction of the three wings marking off the yard and the incorporation of the town tower. Other significant works have been carried out starting from the second half of the 15th century, up to today’s arrangement of the façade by Voghera, where three main parts can be identified: the porticoes with the ogive arches, the three lancet windows turned into single lanced windows in 1496 and the cresting with merlons. Under the portico, on the side of the communal place, rests of the original 13th century frescoes can be seen, while the frescoes in the vaults and the lunettes date back to the Renaissance. Together with the Torrazzo, the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Loggia dei Militi, the Town Hall forms the architectural stage of one of the most fascinating medieval squares in Italy: Piazza del Comune. Today the upper floor of the building is the seat of the city collection that has made the town the worldwide capital for the production of winged instruments: “Gli Archi di Palazzo Comunale” (the Winged Instruments of the Town Hall).