Crema, town, Lombardia (Lombardy) region, northern Italy, on the Serio River southeast of Milan. Possibly of Celtic origin, Crema was sacked by Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1159 and was rebuilt in 1185. Falling to the Visconti family in 1338, it was under Milanese, Venetian, French, and Austrian rule before the unification of Italy in 1860. Its Lombard Gothic cathedral (1284–1341) and Renaissance palaces are notable. An agricultural market and industrial centre, Crema’s varied manufactures include machinery, hemp and linen textiles, and food products. Pop. (2006 est.) mun., 33,486.