San Michele, Romanesque church in Cremona, Italy

San Michele is a First Romanesque church located in Cremona. The building features characteristic semicircular arches and thick stone walls that give it a sturdy, enduring appearance typical of this architectural period.

Documented from the 8th century, the church was rebuilt around 1200 as a three-nave Romanesque basilica with a raised presbytery and a three-nave crypt. In the 13th century the main nave received pointed arches while the presbytery kept its Romanesque form. The left apse was demolished in 1848 for the new bell tower, and restorations in 1861 and 1911 removed later additions.

The dedication to the Archangel Michael, venerated by the Lombards, is reflected in the statue of St Michael Subjugating the Beast to the right of the high altar, recognized as one of the most majestic in Europe. The church also houses a late 12th-century fresco of Christ the Judge in the apse and a 15th-century chapel with a triptych by Bernardino Campi.

The church is best visited on foot as it sits within Cremona's historic center. Taking time to examine the architectural details at a leisurely pace will help you appreciate the craftsmanship of the arches and stonework.

The marble columns inside are slender, and the crypt below the raised presbytery keeps early medieval capitals, one of which is attributed to the Lombard period. The church was Cremona's cathedral from 1124 to 1190, before the title passed to the present duomo.