Museo del Violino

The Museo del Violino opened in 2013 in the renovated Palazzo dell'Arte in the centre of Cremona, and it is one of the best museum experiences in northern Italy. The collection traces the history of violin-making in Cremona from the Amati family in the 16th century through the peak of the craft under Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù in the early 18th century. The presentation combines historical context, technical explanation of the craft, and the instruments themselves — actual originals, displayed in climate-controlled cases but played in public concerts.

The museum is intelligently designed to explain not just the history but the craft: how a violin is made, what makes the varnish and the shaping of the wood affect the sound, why Cremona's instruments sound different from those made elsewhere. There is a concert hall within the museum where regular performances take place using the instruments from the collection — to hear a Stradivarius being played in a small hall is one of those experiences you don't forget. Booking is required for concerts.

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A story
The museum holds several instruments made by Antonio Stradivari, including the "Il Cremonese" violin of 1715, considered one of his finest surviving works. Stradivari made approximately 1,100 instruments during his career, of which about 650 are believed to survive. Each is worth millions of dollars. The museum's instruments are played in public concerts so visitors can hear as well as see them — a remarkable experience that few museums anywhere provide.