Set in the spacious halls of the Palazzo Affaitati, Cremona's finest art gallery houses an exquisite collection of paintings dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The museum's star is a stunning work by Caravaggio, which gets one moodily lit room largely to itself, San Francesco in meditazione (Saint Francis in Meditation). Other pieces from the treasure trove include paintings from Cremona masters such as Boccaccio Boccaccino, Bernardino Gatti and the Campi family (Antonio, Giulio, Vincenzo).
For a bit of levity don't miss the picaresque tavern scenes of Giacomo Cipper (note the drunken lad vomiting in the corner) or whimsical works by Bernardino De Hò (oversized heads and walking dogs included).
There are also a few stringed instruments on the upper floors.