The Torrazzo (Big Tower) is the symbol of Cremona and, at nearly 113 metres, the tallest medieval tower in Italy. It stands detached from the cathedral to the southwest, connected to it by a small covered loggia called the Bertazzola. The tower is built in brick with Lombard Romanesque decoration on the lower courses and Gothic details toward the top, built over more than two centuries.
You can climb to the top — it's a considerable ascent, about 500 steps — for panoramic views across the Po Valley, with the Alps visible on clear days. The astronomical clock on the exterior is worth examining closely even if you don't climb: it shows the position of the planets, the phases of the moon, and the zodiac, and has been running continuously since 1583 with only minor repairs. This is practical astronomy of a high order, installed on a bell tower in a provincial Lombard city over four centuries ago and still working.