A Weekend in Crema: Art, Mystery and the Miracles of Good Food

If our trip had taken place two thousand years ago, instead of taking the Paullese State Road, which links Milan with Crema, we would have done as the Native Americans did: we would have arrived here aboard slender canoes, or rather dugout canoes carved from a tree trunk. Rowing along the numerous waterways that at the time characterised this territory, we would have reached our destination admiring that landscape that history books tell us about today: for the most part submerged by the waters of today's rivers Serio, Adda and Oglio, but also by canals, millraces and spring-fed streams which, retreating, gave way to emerged lands such as the Insula Fulcheria, an island surrounded by Lake Gerundo.

Today there's no longer either the island or the lake, but incredibly the dugout canoes have remained, which today can be seen at the Museo Civico of Crema, in whose section dedicated to river archaeology thirteen dugout canoes from the 3rd century AD, made of oak wood, are displayed, found in the beds of the rivers Adda, Oglio and Po in almost perfect condition. Arriving in Crema we settle into one of the spacious rooms full of charm and equipped with every comfort of the Locanda Ombrianello, located inside the Podere d'Ombriano, where the Golf Crema Resort is also found. Setting off to discover the city, we delve into its moving spiritual history, rich in extraordinary events. Indeed, in 1490 the religious thread became intertwined with the tragic one of a whodunnit.

The chronicles of the time tell how a man from Bergamo with a criminal record had killed his young wife Caterina degli Uberti, a member of a well-off family of Crema. The woman, gravely wounded, prayed to the Madonna that the sacraments might be administered to her before she passed away, and so it happened: a woman dressed poorly appeared to her and said: "I am she whom you have called". The haemorrhages stopped for the time needed to bring the dying woman to the parish for the Holy Sacraments. On the scene of the murder a wooden cross was placed, and following further miracles, including the healing of a child, from 1490 to 1500 the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Croce was built.

During our walk through the streets steeped in history we also admire many civic buildings, including the town hall with the arch known as the Torrazzo, the Palazzo Pretorio and its medieval tower, and the Bishop's Palace. Among the many splendid churches we visit, the oldest is the Duomo, in Lombard Gothic style, built on the spot where a great church already stood in the 11th century. We stay in the historic centre for dinner too, choosing for our evening the Ristorante Botero, on via del Ginnasio, a stone's throw from the Duomo. We settle into the welcoming dining room, whose warm elegance immediately charms us: the refined setting mirrors the soul of the city, and thanks to temporary exhibitions, also the young and fresh spirit of the place. "We bring traditional flavours to the table, but revisited with passion and skill by our chef Lorenzo Adobati.

Our main specialities are fish dishes, and we also showcase some typical local products such as tortelli and Salva cremasco cheese, always taking seasonality into account and guaranteeing the absolute freshness of every dish", Mr Marco explains, welcoming us into the dining room with great kindness. We start with an exquisite little broccoli flan with fondue and a Grana Padano wafer, also tasting the morsels of fresh tuna marinated in soy with fennel and blood orange carpaccio. We follow this delicious starter with the typical hand-pinched cremaschi tortelli and the potato cream with mullet bottarga and seared scampi. We wash down these delicacies with excellent wines chosen from the roughly one hundred labels available, and continue the dinner with fish specialities that vary each day according to the catch available.

Our "carnivore" friends prefer instead the braised beef cheek in red wine with storo polenta. Finally, we certainly don't resist the sweet temptation of the house desserts, including the fior di latte ice cream with chestnut honey and brittle, and a tasty Alicante nougat semifreddo with hazelnut cream and white chocolate chips. The weekend in Crema enriched us with a series of pleasant experiences that we hope to relive soon: the next occasion could be the christening of a friend's little girl, to be celebrated with the exquisite flavours of the Ristorante Botero.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Botero Via del Ginnasio, 4 Crema Tel.: 0373/87911