In the centre of Piazza Duomo stands the imposing Crema Cathedral in Cistercian Gothic style built from 1284 to 1341 on the ashes of the cathedral destroyed by Barbarossa in 1160.
The Cathedral is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta.
The relatively small area of the square helps to make the facade of this building even more impressive, generating a feeling of amazement in the eyes of those who observe it.
Standing under the porch of the Town Hall, you can admire the main entrance. The building is built with the warm terracotta tiles of the Po Valley and the façade, ending in a hut with a gallery, is of the "wind" type, i.e. with windows open to the sky.
The portal is enriched by a lunette, probably from the previous cathedral, with the statues of the Madonna and Child, St. Pantaleon (patron saint of the city) and St. John the Baptist.
Above the portal, between the two mullioned windows, a beautiful marble rose window shows a rose with sixteen intertwined petals, supported by sixteen small columns, symbol of Paradise.
Many tourists love to take photographs of the details that embellish the facade and capture the thousand shades of the sky that filters through the openwork windows.
Moving along the long side of the Cathedral you can admire the 59.66 metre high bell tower. It was built between the 13th and 14th centuries:
The octagonal lantern finished in a cone shape over which a weathervane stands out.
