*Chief Objects of Notice.-Duomo, Steccata Church, Pinacoteca and Correggio's St. Jerome, Palazzo Farnese, Academy. Paintings by Correggio and Parmigiano, or Parmegianino, of the Parmese school, one of those distinguished by chiaro-scuro.

Living is agreeable in Parma. The air is pure, though, from the elevation of the town and the neighbourhood of the Apennines, it blows keen in winter. The territory has been always renowned for its rich meadows and fleeces. Martial says of it, "Tondet et innumeros Gallica Parma greges." At the present day silk is the chief product. Scarcely enough corn is grown for home consumption, but it is abundant in salt works, mines of iron and copper, mineral waters, &c.

The city, which is a bishop's see, and the capital of a province, and late of a duchy, now incorporated with the kingdom of Italy, was made a Roman colony, called Parma, about 200 B.C., and may therefore boast of its antiquity. Little of the old time remains, except two small pillars near the Steccata Church, and a cippus and sarcophagus in front of the cathedral. It stands on the Parma River, where the Via Emilia crosses it, and forms the main street. Strada Maestra, or Al Ponte di Mezzo (14 mile long), so called from the middle bridge on the river; the others being Ponte Caprazucca and Ponte Verde, leading to the Stradore suburb.

It is surrounded by moated ramparts. about 4 miles in compass, now turned into promenades, with five gates. Its wide streets have rather a deserted look. Many of the houses are large and well built, and it is provided with fountains and aqueducts for water; but the principal objects for strangers are the works of its three great painters-Correggio, Parmigianino, and Lanfranco, which adorn the churches and public buildings of the town. Parmegianino, whose real name was Mazzolo, was born at Parma, 1504.

The large Lombard Cathedral, or *Duomo, is in the Gothic style, of the twelfth century (1106), remarkable for its unfinished front, triple gallery, and eight-sided cupola, the inside of which is decorated with the beautiful frescoes of Correggio. The subject is the *Assumption of the Virgin, among a crowd of angels and saints. It is one of his finest works, though much faded. Here are tombs of the celebrated Bishop Turchi, A. Mazzo (the musician), and J. B. Bodoni (the printer), whose editions of Italian works are much admired, and whose office is still here. There is also a mausoleum to Petrarch (with portrait), who was for many years archdeacon of the cathedral. Many valuable sculptures, pictures, and frescoes by Gambara, Gatti, &c., may be noticed in the choir and other parts of the building, as well as the subterranean chapel and its 28 marble Corinthian pillars.

At the side of the cathedral are the tall campanile, and the Battistero, or Baptistery; a rich octagonal building of six storeys, of Verona marble, built 1196-1260, by Antelami. It contains many highly

adorned pillars, two being of Oriental granite; several curious antique pictures, with Lanfranco's picture of St. Octavius Falling from his Horse, and a large holy water Basin of one single piece of marble, of the thirteenth century.

S. Giovanni Evangelista, a white marble church, at the end of the Riolo, belonged to the Benedictine Convent, was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and is enriched with good pictures, among which are a beautiful copy of the St. Jerome of Correggio, by Aretusi; another copy of his famous Night, now at Dresden; but especially some superb frescoes in the cupola, by Correggio himself. This was his first great work, when he was only twenty-six. The subject is *St. John in a vision, seeing Christ on his throne, with the Apostles around. The same great artist painted in chiaroscuro the ornaments round the vault of the sanctuary, and gave the designs of the figures and children in bas-relief, in the frieze of the cornice, as well as on the candelabras, and the capitals of the pilasters down the whole length of the church. The arches in the St. Crucifix and St. Gertrude chapels have some frescoes by Parmigiano; in the second on the right is a Nativity by F. Francia. Going to the convent or college, you pass a recess over a little door, with a St. John the Evangelist by Correggio; and inside the convent, fronting the door of the winter refectory, is a pretty niched group of Infants by the same painter, in fresco, unfortunately much damaged. In a corridor there are four stucco figures, by A. Begarelli, of Modena.

The Church of the Nuove Cappucine was built in 1569 by G. F. Testa, and, though small, is rich and elegant, and crowned by a cupola, in which is the Assumption of the Virgin, a fresco by G. B. Tinti.

The Cappucine Church belonged formerly to the Knights Templars. It has a Conception by J. B. Piazetta; two good pictures of the Miracles of St. Felix, by L. Spada, in the choir; and two by A. Carracci of St. Louis and St. Elizabeth.

L'Annunziata is composed of ten Chapels arranged on an oval, to the centre of which they all tend. Among other ornaments is an Annunciation by Correggio, in fresco, removed from the walls on account of the injury it has suffered. Parmegianino's Madonna and Child, and his St. Jerome, are in the convent.

The church of the suppressed convent of St. Paul, now dedicated to S. Ludovico, was frequented by the Ducal Court. In one of the rooms of the convent may be seen the famous frescoes of Correggio, representing the *Triumph of Diana, with several attendants carrying instruments of chase, and compartments round it in chiaro-scuro. Another room is painted by A. Araldi.

S. Teresa is entirely painted in fresco by Galeatti; the subjects being the events in the life of the patron saint.

*Beata Vergine della Steccata, so called from a steccato or railing before an image of the Virgin, is the finest church in Parma; attributed to Bramante,

but really built by G. F. Zaccagna, about 1539. In the crypt are the tombs of the Ducal houses, the Sforza, Farnese, and other families. Its marbles and inlaid work, though rich, are exceeded by the beauty of the pictures, in fresco and oil, which it contains. Among others are the Three Sibyls, under the organ; a Moses breaking the two Tables, on an arch close by; and an Adam and Eve in chiaro-scuro, all fine works by Parmigiano. The remainder are works by Anselmi, Tiarini, B. Gatti, Sogaro, Franceschini, &c. Two Roman pillars of the time of Constantine stand opposite this church.

Some good frescoes are seen in Trinita Vecchia Church, among which are St. Roch and St. Antony of Padua; and a Holy Virgin with St. John Baptist and St. Francis, by G. B. Srotti, surnamed Molosso. There are also several inscriptions.

S. Alessandro.-Here are paintings by G. Mazzolo and Tiarini. At S. Francesco de Prato are frescoes by Anselmi. The façade of Madonna delle Grazie deserves attention.

The Pilotta, otherwise called the Palazzo Farnese, between Piazza Grande and Ponte Verde, is not remarkable except for the great mass it is composed of, but attempts are making to improve the whole pile. Here is the

Accademia de' Belle Arti, comprising a Pinacoteca or picture gallery, and a library in fourteen or fifteen rooms on the first floor, and a Museum on the ground floor. Open, 10 to 3.

The Pinacoteca contains some of the most remarkable of Correggio's works. Among these are the Madonna della Scala, a fresco from Porta S. Michele and the Scala Oratory; the Madonna della Scodella (i.e., of the platter which she holds); a Descent from the Cross; but above all, his Il Giorno, or the Day, otherwise called the *St. Jerome, from the principal figure, accompanied by the Virgin and Child, St. M. Magdalene, and two Angels. Other noticeable Pictures are:-Parmegianino-Madonna, with St. Jerome, &c. AnselmiMadonna and Saints. G. Mazzolo - Conception of the Virgin. F. Francia-the Vitale Madonna, or Madonna Enthroned, with Santa Justina, St. Benedict, Santa Scolastica, S. Placidus (one of the portraits is a likeness of a member of the Vitale family). F. Francia-Descent from the Cross. L. Caracci-Burial of the Virgin. Annibale Carracci-a Pietà. G. Mazzolo-Adoration of the Magi. Guercino Madonna. Cima da ConeglianoMadonna on a Throne. Raphael-Christ in Glory, with the Madonna, &c. Correggio-Martyrdom of S. Flavia and S. Placidus. Parmegianino-Martyrdom of St. Catherine. A. del Sarto-a Pieta. There are also portraits of Correggio, Parmigianino, &c.; Chevalier Toschi's drawings of Correggio's works, and colossal basalt statues of Bacchus and Hercules, found in the Farnese Gardens at Rome, with other relics from Veleia.

At one end stands Canova's fine statue of Maria Louisa, who, on the banishment of her husband to St. Helena, 1815, was made Duchess of Parma. She resided, till her death in 1847, in a building

close to the Palace Farnese, and there they show her son's (the Duke of Reichstadt) rich cradle, and her toilette, &c., given by the City of Paris to the Bride of Napoleon.

Two great galleries are filled by 80,000 volumes and 4,000 MSS. of the Library, founded 1770. There is a fresco (Virgin crowned) by Correggio from S. Giovanni's Church, and a large collection of prints. Among the literary curiosities here is a Koran taken from the Grand Vizier's tent at the battle of Vienna; a MS. of Petrarch's which belonged to Francis I.; Luther's Hebrew Psalter; and 3,400 volumes of books and MSS. which belonged to Rossi, the Hebrew scholar, and were brought in types of Bodoni, the famous printer. 1816. Here also are 80,000 engravings and the

The Museo, on the ground floor, is rich in bronzes and medals (about 30,000), inscriptions, and other monuments of ancient Veleia above mentioned, including the Trajan Table.

A large theatre, the Teatro Farnese, which makes part of the Palace, was built by G. Aleotti for Duke Ranuccio. It is of wood, 1,033 feet long, nearly 100 feet wide, and could hold about 5,000 persons. It is the largest in Italy, but not used, and in a dilapidated condition. The semicircular body rests on Corinthian pillars 66 feet high, and has fourteen rows of seats for the spectators.

The Teatro Nuovo, near the Palace, was built by Maria Louisa in 1829. A third is lately completed of very elegant design, by N. Bettoli, of Parma, the decorations by Chevalier Toschi.

It

The Lyceum or College, sometimes called a University, is established in the old College of the Jesuits, and attended by about 500 students. Three or four professorships are attached. possesses also a theatre of Anatomy, a museum of Natural History, laboratory, observatory, &c., with a Botanic garden in the Stradone promenade in the south suburbs of the city.

At the military college of Santa Caterina are good paintings by Lanfranco, L. Spada, F. Stringa, &c., and an interesting plan of attack and defence, modelled by P. d'Aubencourt, director of the plans at the Louvre. It is 52 feet long. Besides these educational establishments there are a Monte di Pietà for helping the poor, founded as far back as 1488, by Father di Feltre, who first set such a scheme on foot; a Misericordia, and other hospitals for the aged and insane; and various benevolent institutions projected by Maria Louisa; whose rule was mild and liberal.

The Palazzo delle Commune, designed by G. Magnani (Statue of Correggio), and the Le Giara Riding House near the market-place, deserve notice.

The Palazzo Sanvitale has a rich collection of Parmigianino's designs, his Baptism of Christ (painted when he was sixteen), a gallery of ancient and modern masters, an excellent library, and a theatre built of wood and occasionally open to the public. College Lalatta, or Maria Luigia, is ornamented with Gambara's frescoes,

Near the Porto di S. Micheli, built according to some by the celebrated engineer, Sammicheli, is the Citadel, which, though regularly planned and laid out, is incapable of much resistance. A fine esplanade lies between it and the town, close to the Stradone and the Botanic Garden. Statue of Correggio.

By the Treaty of Villafranca (1859), the Duchies of Parma and Piacenza were to be restored to their runaway sovereigns, subject to the concurrence of the people; an important reservation, which they were quick to use against them. As soon as the Austrian bayonets were withdrawn the whole edifice of tyranny tumbled into ruins. The small Ducal army joined its protectors at Mantua. Farini was appointed Dictator of Modena and Parma by the respective Chambers; Ricasoli governed Tuscany, under the Assembly; and Cipriani the Legations.

In the course of a short time deputations proceeded to Turin to offer the sovereignty of Central Italy to Victor Emmanuel, which he accepted conditionally; and Garibaldi being appointed to the command, an army was soon organised. The late Duke (Ferd. Ch. III.) was stabbed March, 1854; his prime minister, Baron Ward, once an English jockey, was dismissed; and his widow became Regent. She died 1864.

On the 5th October, 1859, Colonel Anviti, one of the most active and detested agents of the Duke was recognised by the mob at the station, and though taken by the police to the San Barnaba barracks, they broke in and massacred him. This unhappy event was a great stain on the Italian cause, and the population was disarmed by Farini. Beyond the gates, near Sala, is the Casino de Boschi, a favourite retreat of Maria Louisa. The Viletta, or public cemetery, is also outside the town. About 9 miles from it, at CALORNO, on the Castel Maggiore Road, is another Ducal seat, a fine building, in extensive gardens. The wood of Selva Piana to the south, up the Apennines, was Petrarch's favourite retreat. His house is gone, but the noble prospect remains as beautiful as when he lived to enjoy it.

Among the natives of Parma were Cassius, the friend of Brutus; another Cassius, a poet, whom Horace speaks of; and Macrobius; besides the painter, Parmigianino, already mentioned. Some of his best works are at Bologna, to which he went in 1527.

Rail, 144 miles, to Fornovo, on the road to Pontremoli (page 29) and Spezia.

Roads from Parma.-That by Colorno leads to Castel Maggiore (2 posts) on the Po, whence there is a direct road to Mantua and another to Bozzo, on the Cremona and Mantua Road. The direct post road to Mantua passes Sorbolo, on the Enza, Brescello (2 posts), and GUASTALLA (1 post), with a population of 9,544. near the Po; thence to Mantua, as in Route 16. Fertile meadows are seen all the way. A ferrovia economica (27‡ miles) is open to Suzzara (page 68), passing Brescello and Guastalla.

Many of the inhabitants of the province, belonging to the mountainous or barren parts of the state, emigrate to England to earn a small independence with their street organs and monkeys.

Leaving Parma at the railway station near Porta S. Barnaba, the line continues to traverse the great plain, close to the Via Emilia, and in view of the Apennines. Cross the Enza, which was the boundary of the now extinct Duchies of Parma and Modena.

S. Ilario (Stat.), population, 1,800. Cross the Costolo, and the next place is the walled city of REGGIO (Stat.)

The birthplace of Ariosto, the poet.
Population, 18,634.

Inn: Posta.

This is the ancient Rhegium Lepidi, founded by Emilius Lepidus, whose name survives in his Emilian Way and the new Italian province of Emilia.

This road, under the name of the Strada Maestra (the master road), is the chief thoroughfare, with another called the Corso della Ghiarra. After being ruined by Attila and rebuilt by Charlemagne, Reggio came under the family of Este, which Ariosto, in the last canto of his Orlando Furioso, makes to spring from the marriage of Bradomante and Ruggiero, a converted Saracen knight. *Ariosto's House, or the site of it, is shown near the Town Hall, or Palazzo del Commune.

One remarkable building is the Duomo, in Piazza Grande, an unfinished church of the fifteenth century, having statues without and within it by one of M. Angelo's pupils, Clementi, who is buried here. Over the portal, Adam and Eve.

The Madonna della Ghiaia, belonging to the Franciscan Convent of the Zoccolanti (i.e., sandalwearers), in the Corso, contains a Crucifixion by Guercino, with frescoes by L. Ferrari and Tiarini. Nearer this is a granite obelisk, erected 1842, on the marriage of the Grand Duke. S. Prospero, in Piazza Piccola, an old church, rebuilt in the sixteenth century. It has frescoes by Procaccini, Campi, and Tiarini. At the Lyceo is a Natural History collection, made by Spallanzani.

Not far from this, in the Apennines, are the remains of Canossa Castle, which belonged to the Great Countess Matilda, and in which Pope Hildebrand, to whom she gave shelter here, received the homage of Henry IV. in 1077. The Emperor was kept three days outside the castle in

the dress of a penitent, and on the fourth day was granted absolution after kissing the Pope's foot. Canossa may be reached from Bibbianello via Quattro Castelli (so called from the four Castles, Montrevero, Bibbianello, Monteluzzo, Montesano), San Polo on the Enza, Ciano, Rossena, to Canossa. The nearest Station is S. Ilario, but Parma or Reggio is more convenient. The Countess's Chapel and portrait are at Bibbianello. She bequeathed her lands to the Church.

Rubiera (Stat.), the next, at a little fortified place, near the Secchia. It was the state prison of the Duchy of Modena, and belonged to the ancestors of Bojardo, the author of the Orlando Innamorato (which Ariosto afterwards took up), and Count of Scandiano, a feudal castle a few miles off, under the Apennines. The next place is

MODENA (Stat.),

The ancient Mutina, where Mark Antony was defeated, B.C. 43, by the Consuls Hirtius and Pansa, who were both killed.

Population, 31,055; or 58,060, including the suburbs. The women wear blue kerchiefs on the head.

Good

Hotels: San Marco; Reale; Leopardo. zampone or petitoes; spongate, pani, speziali, and other sweetmeats; vino tosco (red), vino trebbiano (white), and vino di Sorbaro, are the usual wines.

Conveyances.-Railway to Bologna, Parma, and Piacenza. Omnibuses and carriages at the railway station; the former 50 cents., the latter 1 lira. to 1 lira 50 cents., to any part of the town.

*Chief Objects of Notice.-Duomo; Ghirlandina Tower; Ducal Palace.

This small capital of the little absolute Duchy of Modena, now swallowed up in the constitutional Kingdom of Italy, is a well-built and handsome city, between the Secchia and Panaro, shut in by walls, and containing several arcaded streets, the principal one called Strada Maestra, or Corso Victor Emmanuel, forming part of the Via Emilia. Here is a Statue to Muratori, the great scholar. A canal, from near the railway station and Porta Castello, opens up a communication with the Po. It is well supplied with water. At the northern extremity is the citadel, in Piazza d'Armi. Of fifty Churches and chapels, the most remarkable is the

*Duomo, or Cathedral, near the Corso, in Piazza Grande, founded 1099, by Countess Matilda, in the Lombard style, and finished in the fourteenth century, has a stone vault and crypt. It contains the Rangoni tombs, and an ancient Modenese painting of the Crowning of Mary, by S. de' Serafini (1385), with a terra cotta Nativity, by Begarelli. Its tall, conspicuous Campanile (12241509), consisting of a square base of 200 feet, with an octagonal spire of 115 feet on top, is of black marble, with a bronze garland round it, which gives it its popular name of *Ghirlandina. It holds a famous Bucket, which, in the civil wars of the fourteenth century, was carried off from Bologna

trophy, and is the subject of a burlesque poem,

La Secchia Rapita (the Rape of the Bucket), by Tassoni, whose statue is here, and who is not to be confounded with Tasso.

S. Agostino, or Santa Margharita, near the Reggio Gate. Here is a good Descent from the Cross, by Begarelli, a Modenese sculptor, a work extravagantly praised by M. Angelo; also the tombs of two other distinguished natives, Sigonio and Muratori. Madonna del Carmine, in the Corso, near the Bologna Gate, has a cupola painted by Paradis. S. Paolo has a Nativity of Mary, by Pellegrino, a native artist. S. Vicenzio, near the Palace Gardens, has tombs of the ex-Ducal family.

On the east side of the city, facing the Piazza Ducale and the Public Gardens, is the

*Ducal Palace, now Palazzo Reale, an extensive and handsome pile, begun 1634, by Bart. Avanzini, with a fine colonnaded court and gardens, grand staircase, &c. Here are the Estense Gallery and library. Among the paintings are the following:L. di Bicci-Madonna. S. Aretino - A Marriage. N. dell' Abate--Landscapes (he is one of the best artists of the Modenese school). Tintoretto Madonna and Saints. Correggio-Ganymede. Giorgione-Portrait. P. Bordone-Adoration of the Magi. L. Caracci-Venus and Cupid. Titian-Portraits. Garofalo-Madonna and Saints. Guido-S. Roch in Prison, and a Crucifixion. D. Dossi-Judith, and portraits of the Este Family. G. Francia-Assumption. Guercino-Venus sitting, and Marriage of St. Catherine. A. del Sarto-Holy Family. G. Procaccini-Circumcision. Tiarini-Crucifixion. Pellegrino-Nativity. Pomarancio-a Dead Christ on the Cross. Murilloa Peasant. Velasquez- a Benedictine. There is also a collection of drawings by old masters.

The Library, or Biblioteca Estense, is a fine collection of 90,000 volumes and 3,000 MSS., besides archives. Muratori, the author of "Antichità Estense," and Tiraboschi, author of "Biblioteca Modense," &c., were librarians here. The Soliani Collection of ancient and modern engraved woodblocks (3,611 specimens) was acquired 1887. Some of the rarest MSS. and medals disappeared with the ex-Duke Francesco V., in 1859.

His little army of 2,000 men remained faithful to him, and was incorporated with the Austrian forces. He used to say he did not want "enlightened men, but obedient subjects and submissive Christians," the very essence of a despot's notions of good government.

The military barracks, at the Salicetta, were used by him as a prison for political offenders.

The Ducal Palace was occupied by Farini, the Dictator. It was asserted by the Court faction, and repeated by Lord Normanby, that this eminent man appropriated all the Duke's linen, which being marked "F." (for Francesco), would do as well for Farini. When he resigned the Dictatorship, upon the union of the Duchies with Sardinia, he was as poor as when he assumed it; so poor that the Provincial Assembly voted him an estate and

a sum of money, both of which he refused to accept.

Modena is a dull town, without society, the leading families being in the hands of an ignorant and bigoted priesthood. It has a good theatre and Public gardens. General Cialdini was born at Castelvetro, near Modena, and began service with Don Pedro, in Portugal.

There is a ferrovia economica, which, starting from Sassuolo, 10 miles south-east of Modena, passes through the latter, and is continued 19 miles to Mirandola (this is not the Mirandola mentioned on page 98), with a branch to Finale. Finale is a city of 13,000 inhabitants.

From Modena the rail continues to follow the

Via Emilia, to the Panaro, the ancient Scultenna, which formerly divided Modena from the Romagna, or States of the Church.

Castelfranco (Stat.), on the site of Forum Gallorum, is so called from a border fortress built by Pope Urban VIII.

Samoggia (Stat.), on a river of the same

Caravaggio
Casaletto Vaprio... 9
Crema................... ... 13
Castelleone ......... 20

Miles. 24 Casalbuttano......... 30 33

Oimeneta Cremona...

40

Caravaggio (Stat.), population, 7,121. Has a Lombard church, and was the birthplace of Michelangelo Merigi, the painter, usually called Caravaggio, born 1569, the son of a mason. He is the founder of the naturalist, or literal school, as opposed to the ideal, which is based on selection. His best work is the Pietà, in the Vatican. His Christ at Emmaus is in our National Gallery. Spagnoletto was one of his followers.

Crema (Stat.), population, 8,240, on the River Serio, which comes from Bergamo. It has some manufactures, a breeding stud, and a cathedral of the fifteenth century, with paintings by Guido. Rich meadow land here all the way to Cremona, but the line passes nothing of importance except flax works, &c.

CREMONA (Stat.)

Hotels: L'Italia (the best); Sole d'Oro; Albergo Reale (Royal Hotel); Il Capello (Hat).

Good cheese, torrone cake, and mostarda; the last a preserve flavoured with mustard seed.

An ancient town and bishop's see of 31,083 inhabitants, once noted for its manufacture of

"Cremona" violins, as well as other musical instruments; the chief makers of which were Amati (born 1596), and Stradivarius (died 1737), in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Another maker is J. Guarnerius, born 1683. Paganini's violin, at Genoa, is a Stradivarius. Their houses are in the great square.

It stands near the Po, in a fertile but marshy part of the great plain of Lombardy, and is the capital of the province of the same name. Walls

and ditches surround it on all sides, the ditches being filled by a canal, called the Naviglio di Crema, which comes down from the Oglio and runs into the Po, which is henceforth navigable to the sea.

It is about 5 miles in circuit, and though the general view of its streets and houses is agreeable, yet, being too large for the population, there is a decayed look about the place. Many of the gates deserve notice; but the most remarkable object is its famous *Torrazzo or Bell Tower, nearly 390 feet high, being one of the loftiest in Italy, and visible for many miles round the town. It was built 1261-84, on the establishment of peace with its neighbour states, and is a plain square tower surmounted by an octagon and spire. There are 498 steps up to the bells in the spire, which commands a magnificent view of the great plain of Lombardy, from the Alps to the Apennines.

Among the best buildings are several palaces and churches, in the Gothic style; and the Town Hall, or Palazzo Pubblico, of the thirteenth century, lately restored, is in the great square, near the Torazzo; it contains a picture gallery (campi, &c.) and mantelpiece. For painting the loggia of this building, F. Sacconi and his brother, the founders of the Cremona branch of the Lombard school in the fifteenth century, were exempted from taxes by their fellow citizens. The old brick Giure Consulti or Law Court adjoining it, marked by battlements and large arches (now filled in), is a school. Cremona possesses several good infant schools, first established here by the Abate Aporti, in 1829. Holiday schools for elder boys, i.e. schools which they attend on church holidays, also exist here. Palazzo Reale has pictures, designs by M. Angelo, coins, &c. The fine fifteenth century Gate of the Stanga Palace is now at the Louvre.

The Cathedral or Duomo, close to the tower, to which it is united by an open loggia, is a Gothic church, for the most part built between 1107 and 1606, the façade of white and red marble being the latest portion. This is ornamented by curious carvings of the seasons, signs of the zodiac, and a rose window, by G. Porrata, 1274. The interior is highly adorned, and contains many paintings by Pordenone (the Crucifixion), B. Gatti, Boccacino (the "Raphael" of Cremona, as he is called), Maretti, Campi, Marosso, &c., with frescoes by Diotti, and sculptures by Sacchi, a native artist of the thirteenth century. A Romanesque eight-sided Baptistery of the eleventh century is the most ancient part of the cathedral. In the Campo Santo adjoining is an ancient pavement, with mosaics.