Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CREMONA'S VIOLINS
It was in Cremona that master craftsman Antonio Stradivari lovingly put together his first Stradivarius
violins, helping establish a tradition that continues today. The Stradivarius violin is typically made
from spruce (the top), willow (the internal blocks and linings) and maple (the back, ribs and neck),
and is prized for its unique sound, attributed to the density of the wood and possibly the unique treat-
ment and varnish.
But Stradivari was by no means the only master craftsman in Cremona. Other great violin-making
dynasties that started here include the Amati and Guarneri families, and even today some 100 violin-
making workshops cluster in the streets around the Piazza del Comune.
Long overdue, but worth the wait, is the brand new, state-of-the-art
Museo del Violino
( 037 2
80 18 01;
www.museodelviolino.org
;
Piazza Marconi; adult/reduced €10/7; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) ,
which brings together the city's historic collection of violins, presenting them alongside the tools of
the trade and placing them in the context of the development of the craft and the evolving popularity
of the instrument internationally. The complex also features a specially engineered auditorium, which
will play host to Cremona's numerous classical music events.
To hear Cremona's violins in action, head to the 19th-century
Teatro Amilcare Ponchielli
(
0372 02 20 01;
www.teatroponchielli.it
; Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 52) , whose season runs from
October to June.
Sights
Piazza del Comune
This beautiful square is considered one of the best-preserved medieval squares in all of
Italy. To divide the secular and spiritual, Church buildings were erected on the eastern side
of Piazza del Comune, and those concerned with secular affairs were across the way.
The business of city government was, and still is, carried out in the 13th-century
Palazzo
Comunale
(Piazza del Comune)
. On the central pillar of the main facade, a marble
arengario
(balcony from which decrees were read and speeches given) was added in 1507. South
across a lane is the
Loggia dei Militi
(Piazza del Comune)
, a delightful little Gothic gem built
in 1292.
PIAZZA
Duomo
( 0372 2 73 86;
www.cattedraledicremona.it
;
Piazza del Comune; 7.30am-noon & 3.30-7pm)
Cre-
mona's stately cathedral started out as a Romanesque basilica, but by the time it was fin-
ished in 1190 it was heavily overtaken by Gothic modishness. The central nave and apse
CATHEDRAL
