History of Crema

Founded in the Island of  “Fulcheria”, emerged from the marshes of the ancient Lake “Gerundo”, Crema became an important city and a free municipality only in the eleventh century, when Matilda of Canossa ceded it to the Bishop of Cremona. The population of the area can be traced back to the fourth millennium BC, as evidenced by the discovery of artefacts in the Civic Museum of Crema, as fragments of stone, arrowheads and stone axes. The city's origins seem linked, however, the Longobard invasion of the sixth century AD, and in fact there is a legend connected with the advent of the Longobards, which narrates that the foundation of the city dates back to 570 when, with the arrival of the Longobards, the inhabitants of the area took refuge in the highest part of the Island of the “Mosa”, under the command of Cremete and then Fulcherio. From these two founders would result so the place names, "Crema" and "Insula Fulcheria”.

It is to say, about the etymology of Crema, that scholars of the nineteenth century was satisfied to offer the most varied origins of the name; some saw that Crema was given this name because it was founded by the inhabitants of "Cremna", a city of the “Pamphylia”, when migrated to Italy. Others saw, however, that Crema comes from the Latin verb “cremare” ("burn"); other scholars thought  that "Crema" was only the "apocope" (for "syncope") (i.e. the fall of the last syllable)  of the city name of "Cremo-na". It is still quoted in some writer an etymology derived from the Greek ("Krema"), in which the Crema name means "market" or "store". The most accepted etymology now comes the name "Crema" from a Celtic root: "[...] Other Celtic terms that relate to soil characteristics have given the name 'Caravaggio' (in the Province of Bergamo), Latin 'Carabus', 'heap of stones'; in Cremona and Crema, from the root 'cram-carm', 'rock' [...]"( See G. G. Boot, “L'Italia dei Celti” ["Italy of the Celts"], 2003:179).

In accordance with G. Boot is also the Etymological Dictionary of P. Passarelli, who, about Crema and Cremona, writes: "[...] The origin of the name, like that of Cremona, may be related to pre-Latin term  'Carra',   (...)with the meaning  of 'rock', which, through the variations 'Carm' and then 'Cram', would come to present form [...]" (See P. Passarelli, “Lombardia”, Istituto Enciclopedico Italiano [" Lombardy ", Encyclopaedic Italian Institute], 2001: 276). In conclusion, Crema would mean "city set on a rock." The only of 19th century scholar who, with truly brilliant intuition,  approached the most accepted theory today more accredited was Carlo Denina, who wrote that "[...] Crema must be  of ancient Celtic or Teutonic Foundation [...]" (See Carlo Denina, “Quadro istorico, statistico e morale dell'Alta Italia e dell'Alpi che la circondano” ["Historical , Statistical and Moral Framework of Upper Italy and Its Surrounding Alps"] Pirotta and Maspero, 1806: 25).

The first appearance of Crema in medieval documents dating back to 1000 AD, when the city was a possession of the Counts of Camisano; afterwards it was  ruled by Bonifacio, Marquis of Tuscany (985-1052),  and his daughter Matilda (1046-1115), who, in 1098, gave the city the Bishop of Cremona. In 1159, having formed an alliance with Milan against Cremona, Crema was invaded and destroyed by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (1122-1190). With the Peace of Constance (1185), the city was rebuilt as a "castrum", and it was later a free municipality, adding a new town wall. Date back to the thirteenth century are the Cathedral and the Praetorian Palace.

 

The autonomy of the town ended in 1335, when the city was conquered by Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1351-1402), before moving to the Republic of Venice. Crema, under the dominion of the "Serenissima", gained many privileges, and it remained under the Venetian rule for three centuries, during which it found some political stability. The Venetian imprint is still visible in various public places, including the walls that enclose, even today, the old town, with the  Town Hall (1525-1533) and the Palace of the “Notaria” (now Bishop's Palace).

In 1580 the city became a Diocese, and was built the Sanctuary of  “Santa Maria della Croce”; later, after the French and  Austrian domination, the city became part of the Kingdom of Italy (1861).