Crema | ||
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Comune | ||
Città di Crema | ||
A view of a central street in Crema.
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Location of Crema in Italy | ||
Coordinates: 45°22′N 9°41′E / 45.367°N 9.683°ECoordinates: 45°22′N 9°41′E / 45.367°N 9.683°E | ||
Country | Italy | |
Region | Lombardy | |
Province / Metropolitan city | Cremona (CR) | |
Frazioni | Santa Maria dei Mosi, Santo Stefano in Vairano, Vergonzana | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Stefania Bonaldi (PD) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 34 km2 (13 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 79 m (259 ft) | |
Population (31 December 2012) | ||
• Total | 34,144 | |
• Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | Cremaschi | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 26013 | |
Dialing code | 0373 | |
Patron saint | Saint Pantaleo | |
Saint day | June 10 | |
Website | Official website |
Crema (Italian: [ˈkrɛːma]) is a city and comune in the province of Cremona, in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is built along the river Serio at 43 kilometres (27 mi) from Cremona. It is also the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Crema, who gave to Crema the title of city. Crema's main economic activities traditionally relate to agriculture and cattle breeding, but Its manufactures include now cheese, iron products and cotton and wool textiles. Inhabitants are called cremaschi, singular cremasco.
Crema hosts the Computer Science Department of the University of Milan.
Crema's origins have been linked to the Lombard invasion of the 6th century CE, the name allegedly deriving from the Lombard term Krem meaning "little hill", though this is doubtful since it does not lie significantly above the surrounding countryside. Other linguistic roots may suggest an older origin, in particular the Indo-European root meaning a boundary (cf. Ukraine, crêt). Other authorities trace its foundation back to the 4th century CE, when Milan was capital of the Western Roman Empire. According to another version, it was instead an even more ancient Celtic or Etruscan settlement.
Crema first appears in historical documents in the 11th century as a possession of the counts of Camisano. It was then ruled by Boniface, margrave of Tuscany, and his daughter Matilde. In 1098, Matilde gave the town as a gift to the Bishop of Cremona. During this period the prosperity of Crema's territory began as agriculture was boosted and the Humiliates' Order introduced the processing of wool, which was to be the area's main economic activity until the 19th century.