Museo del Violino, Cremona

The Museo del Violino stands on Piazza Marconi in Cremona, the Lombard city on the Po that has been the world capital of violin-making since the 16th century, home to the workshops of Andrea Amati, Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri 'del Gesù'. The museum tells the story of the craft across themed galleries: the history of the Cremonese school, the tools and methods of liuteria, and a treasury room displaying priceless historic instruments, among them Stradivari and Amati violins. Visitors trace how a violin is made, from wood selection to varnish, and learn why Cremonese instruments command such reverence. The centrepiece is the Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi, an acoustically refined concert hall where these antique instruments are regularly played, allowing the museum's holdings to be heard as well as seen; scheduled 'sound experiences' and concerts bring the collection alive. A visit takes about ninety minutes to two hours, longer if a concert or demonstration is attended. The museum is busiest at weekends and during Cremona's musical events; weekday mornings are calmest. Beyond the museum, the surrounding streets shelter dozens of active violin-makers' workshops, and the towering Torrazzo bell tower and the cathedral are a short walk away. Photography is generally allowed without flash. Cremona is reached by train from Milan in about an hour, making the museum and the historic centre an easy day trip. For music lovers and the curious alike, the Museo del Violino offers the rare chance not only to view legendary instruments but, at the right moment, to hear them sing in a hall built expressly for the purpose.