The building stands on the ruins of the ancient convent of Santa Marta, purchased in 1812 by the nobleman Gaetano Bolzesi: the austere building is unique in Cremona and reflects the style adopted by the architect Simone Cantoni, a refined interpreter of neoclassical architecture. In 1813, Giuseppe Diotti worked on the ground floor rooms, while the façade, now decorated with a series of Corinthian columns in the central area, a triangular pediment with bas-reliefs and statues on the crowning attic, was still incomplete.
The internal courtyard has a layout with two side wings, connecting the architectural part of the building with the vast romantic-style park, with a tall minaret in oriental style.
On the main floor, there are reception rooms elegantly decorated mainly by Giuseppe Diotti (1826).
It is home to the Academia Cremonensis, an international academy of violin making and bow making..