The town stands 45 m. above sea level on fertile plains near the left bank of the Po River, just past its confluence with the Adda River.
Of Gallic origin, it became a Roman colony (218 BC.). After the fall of the Empire, it was subject to Barbarian invasions before becoming a free municipality in the 11th century, often at war with the other Lombard towns; it fell to Visconti rule in the 14th century.
After that for brief intervals, Cremona formed part of the Duchy of Milan, sharing its destiny, and after the Lombard-Venetia period, it was involved in the Italian Risorgimento.
