Discover Boschetto

Boschetto is a hamlet of Cremona. Its local and cultural history can be explored through several specific themes: the story of a monastery, Palazzo ex Duemiglia, religious heritage, and historic place names. The information ranges from a presumed medieval foundation to a municipal cycle path project. Together, these details offer different insights into the history and planning of the area.

Monastery history and historic names

The monastery of Boschetto is thought to have been founded in the 12th century. The previously attributed foundation date of 835 is not documented by reliable written evidence. Boschetto was long identified with the monastery of Sancte Marie de Buscheto. The presumed foundation period and the historical identification describe two different aspects of the tradition: a chronological estimate and the association of the location with the monastery.

The place name also appears in several historical forms. The name “ecclesia S. Mariae de Boscheto” is recorded for 1233, and “S. Maria de Busceto” for 1236. In 1259 and 1296, “Boschetum” and “boschetum” appear. This sequence shows the changing spellings and provides a chronological framework for the area’s history, without reducing the forms to a single spelling.

The former monastery buildings initially stood empty for a long time. Later, they were occupied by the monks of San Lorenzo di Spagna and then by the Gerolamini, the brothers of Blessed Pietro da Pisa. The monastery was suppressed in 1772 by decision of the Austrian government. The vacancy, the two later communities, and the suppression mark different stages in the history of the buildings.

Palazzo ex Duemiglia and the former municipality

Palazzo ex Duemiglia is a palace built in the 18th century on commission from the Radicati family. It stands on the site of an old brickworks called Broletto. Several decorated reception rooms have been preserved. The building thus brings together two periods: the Radicati commission in the 18th century and the site’s earlier use as a brickworks.

The palazzo was the seat of the former municipality of Duemiglia for a long time, before it was incorporated into Cremona. Its history therefore encompasses both its architectural development and its former municipal role. The surviving rooms add a specific architectural detail to this institutional history.

Religious heritage in Boschetto

The church of Boschetto is named S. Maria Annunciata. There are also several places and niches dedicated to Marian devotion: some can still be visited, while others have disappeared over time. These different conditions are part of the history of Boschetto’s religious sites and niches.

At the entrance to Boschetto, in Belgiardino (el Belgiardéen), faded and fragmentary remains of a mural depicting the Holy Family with angels can be seen on the wall of a dilapidated building. These fragments differ from the named churches and places of devotion: here, it is a partially preserved mural whose figures can still be recognized.

Historic location and surroundings

The historic settlement of Boschetto lay along the Fregalino drainage canal and near the Via Sablonorum, also known as Via de Sablonibus. It ran north from Porta San Guglielmo, also called Porta dei Tintori. The watercourse and the street name provide two different spatial reference points for the historical description of Boschetto.

Another perspective on the Cremona area concerns agriculture: the Roggia Buschetta and the Roggia Parracaccia jointly irrigate 846 hectares of farmland in the Cremona area. This information adds a regional perspective on farmland irrigation to the history of the area and its buildings.

Biographical connection and cycle path project

Ernesto Primo Mazzolari is also associated with Boschetto. He was born there on January 13, 1890, to Luigi and Grazia Bolli. His exact date of birth and his parents’ names provide a biographical point of reference alongside the historic buildings and religious heritage.

A municipal cycle path project is intended to connect Piazzale Zelioli Lanzini in the exhibition area with the Boschetto district and continue to the intersection of Via Boschetto and Via Crocile near the primary school. This proposal adds a planned route to the historic references to the area and its streets.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Battaglia, Vailate, Torre De' Picenardi, Soncino, Offanengo, Soresina, Gussola, Spino D'adda.

For the main travel overview: Cremona.