The Museo Archeologico San Lorenzo hosts Roman and Medieval antiquities Cremona. The museum is located on the northern end of Cremona’s historical center, at about a 10 minutes’ walk from the city’s cathedral square. Outside, the museum is admittedly not much impressive; nevertheless, it looks quite better inside.
Housed in the former Romanesque church of San Lorenzo (from which the museum takes its name) built in the 12th century on a former 5th century early-Christian burial ground, together with an antique artifact collection, the museum presents on-site archaeological excavations of structures dating back to the late Roman empire age and the early Middle Ages.
The permanent collection of the Archaeological Museum San Lorenzo comprises sculptures, amphorae, architectural artifacts, jewels, everyday objects, tableware, and mosaics mostly dating back to the Roman empire era.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.