San Pietro al Po.
Last summer I climbed the campanile of the cathedral of Cremona for the second time, the mighty Torrazzo with its height of over 112 metres. Once I had reached the top, I struck up a conversation with an Italian man who was wondering whether he could see the river Po from up here. A fair question. In the distance, towards the southwest, I saw water glistening on the horizon. I pointed this out to the Italian (molto lontano!), who agreed with me that this had to be the Po. Later I used Google Maps and saw that the river flows at a distance of some two kilometres from the cathedral. However, it must have once been much closer to the city. This is evident from the name of the church of San Pietro al Po, which can also be seen very well from the Torrazzo. When the church was built in 1064, it stood practically on the river shore, but since those days the Po has pulled back over one kilometre. My travel guide had remarked that the San Pietro is an interesting church, so I decided to pay a visit.
Not much is left of the church from 1064. Only its campanile still looks medieval. The current San Pietro al Po dates from the sixteenth century and was built between 1563 and 1573 after a design by the local architect Francesco Dattaro (1495-1576). The impressive interior was realised from 1579 onwards, as part of a project that has left virtually every spot inside embellished with stucco decorations or a fresco. Most of the work was done by Giulio Campi (1502-1572) and his younger brother Antonio Campi (1523-1587). The brothers also painted a number of canvases for the church, as did Lattanzio Gambara (ca. 1530-1574) and Giovan Battista Trotti, nicknamed Il Malosso (1555-1619).
San Pietro al Po (centre). The convent is on the right.
The best and most famous work in the church is a Nativity by Bernardino Gatti, nicknamed Il Sojaro (ca. 1495-1576). The work dates from 1555 and hung above the high altar until 1797. It was then stolen by the French occupiers and taken to France. In 1814 the painting was returned, and since 1816 it adorns the fourth altar on the left. Il Sojaro masterfully painted the tenderness and motherly love expressed by the Virgin Mary towards the Child. Witnesses to the Nativity are, apart from the shepherds, two special guests. The man with the keys is obviously Saint Peter, to whom the church is dedicated. The kneeling man is Colombino Ripari (ca. 1495-1570), abbot of the convent next to the church. This convent dates from 1509 and was designed by Cristoforo Solari (ca. 1460-1527), nicknamed Il Gobbo, the hunchback. In the refectory of the convent, one should be able to admire a Miracle of Loaves and Fishes by Il Sojaro, but unfortunately I found the convent closed.
Sources: Evert de Rooij, Lombardije Oost, p. 87-88 and the information panels in the church.