Venue

Cremona, an ancient and beautiful city, has a history in which its natural agricultural vocation is intertwined with art and culture.

One of the main centres of Italian agri-food production, it is also the home of violin making, thanks to immortal figures such as Antonio Stradivari.

Nestled on the banks of the River Po, Cremona has proven itself over the centuries to be the ideal place for the development of art and culture. A city of music, but also a city of good food, with its cured meats, mostarda, meats and nougat, Cremona retains the charm of a medieval town, dotted with ancient churches and cobbled streets, alternating with wonderful patrician palaces with large courtyards.

The beating heart of the city is the monumental complex of Piazza del Duomo: the Cathedral with its large Romanesque Baptistery, the Torrazzo, which is the tallest brick bell tower in Europe, the Palazzo Comunale and the Loggia dei Militi, which evoke the atmosphere of medieval and Renaissance life.

Cremona is also the city of violins. Known since ancient times for its violin-making art, which began with the ancient families of Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari, it still sees master violin makers illustrating the secrets of violin construction in modern workshops: in 2012, its “violin-making expertise” was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and gives the place a unique character.

In addition to craftsmanship, Cremona is strongly characterised by its celebration of agricultural and food traditions: over the centuries, man has transformed the Cremona area according to the needs of agriculture and animal husbandry, which have always been fundamental activities that the Cremona area has been able to enhance with creativity.

This propensity continues today, thanks in part to the presence, since 1984, of the Cremona campus of the Catholic University, which offers courses in agricultural, food and environmental sciences and economics.

From the 2020/21 academic year, teaching and research activities have moved to the former convent of Santa Monica, a historic building returned to the city thanks to the contribution of the Arvedi Buschini Foundation: a place where cutting-edge technology and Italian charm come together, making the Cremona campus of the Catholic University an ideal place to study.

How to reach us

By car

A21 (Turin – Piacenza – Brescia): Cremona exit.

Take the ring road, following the signs for Piacenza for about ten kilometres, until you reach Via Trebbia (exit on the left).

Follow Via Trebbia, and at the traffic lights, take Contrada Santa Tecla.

The Santa Monica Campus is on the left. Specifically, at number 7A Contrada Santa Tecla, there is a car park reserved for authorised guests, while the main entrance (pedestrian) is located at Via Bissolati 74.

A21 (Turin – Piacenza – Brescia): Castelvetro Piacentino exit.

Follow the signs for Cremona. Once you have crossed the bridge over the River Po, take the ring road at the roundabout, following the signs for Pavia.

Take the first exit on the right (Via Trebbia).

Follow Via Trebbia and turn onto Contrada Santa Tecla at the traffic lights.

There are two car parks nearby:

Santa Tecla car park

approximately 80 spaces, located at Via Bissolati, 93, a 2-minute walk from the university campus.

Massarotti covered car park

approximately 200 spaces, located at Via Massarotti 19, a 5-minute walk from the university campus.

By train

The Cremona railway station can be reached from the main cities in Lombardy via the following lines:

Milano – Bozzolo

Brescia – Cremona

Train timetables are available on the website: www.trenitalia.com; https://www.trenord.it/

Once you arrive at the station (Via Dei Ferrovieri Caduti), it is a 10-minute walk to the Santa Monica Campus. Proceed along Via Dante towards Piazza Risorgimento, turn into Via Montello and continue along Via Grado for about 300 metres. Turn left and take Via Leonida Bissolati.

The Catholic University is on the right.

By bus from the railway station [Via Dei Ferrovieri Caduti]

Line U connects the railway station and Piazzale Atleti Azzurri d’Italia to the Santa Monica Campus of the Catholic University. This connection allows you to:

park conveniently in Piazzale Atleti Azzurri d’Italia and reach your destination in short time
quickly reach the centre of Cremona or the Catholic University when arriving from the station

By plane

From Milan

Linate and Malpensa airports; shuttle buses are available from the terminals connecting the airport to Milan train station (www.sea-aeroportimilano.it)