Museo del Violino — Attraction in Cremona

Cremona is situated in Lombardy region and it's the capital of the province of Cremona.

The city of Cremona is especially noted for its musical history and traditions, including some of the earliest and most renowned luthiers (as violin makers are called), such as Giuseppe Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, Vincenzo Rugeri, and several members of the Amati family.

The Museo del Violino (Violin Museum) in Cremona is a musical instrument museum that displays both modern and historical pieces, including famous string instruments by Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù, and Andrea Amati.

Opened to the public in September 14th, 2013, the Violin Museum is housed in the Palazzo dell’Arte, an imposing Fascist era brick construction built in 1941 after a design by architect Carlo Cocchia, renovated after a design by the architectural practice Arkpabi to house the new museum.

The Museum's historical collection, one of the most prestigious in the world, includes pieces by famous Italian violin-makers such as Andrea Amati (Charles IX violin, 1566), Nicolò Amati (Hammerle violin, 1658), Antonio Stradivari (violins Clisebee, 1669; Cremonese, 1715; and Vesuvius, 1727; and Stauffer ex Cristiani cello, 1700), and Giuseppe Guarneri “del Gesù” (Stauffer violin, 1734).

The modern and contemporary collection includes bowed string instruments by Italian and international luthiers that, since 1976, have been awarded the first prize in the Triennale Internazionale degli Stumenti ad Arco, one of the world’s most important violin-making competitions.

The Museum is located in Piazza Marconi. Opening times: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 to 17:00, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00 Standard ticket: €12 Please be noted: From August 06th, 2021, access to the Museum and to the Auditorium is allowed only with Green Pass (EU digital Covid certificate).

More than 150 luthiers still live and work in Cremona. This town of 73,000 inhabitants is also the home to the Violin Museum and the School of Violin & Viola Makers.

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Visiting Cremona and particularly the Museum was something that I didn't necessarily have high on my hit list of Italian things to do... However... after strolling through the splendid museo, and then paying quite a small additional fee, I was treated to perhaps one of the most memorable and ethereal experiences of my life, and certainly of my travels. Lena, a violin virtuoso, played one of the museum's prized Stradivari's, for a good hour and it quite literally moved me to tears with the magnificence and splendour of it all. Truly stunning. I was fortunate to be one of just a couple of visitors that day/sitting... So it was as if she was playing just for me. And the acoustics and aesthetics of the auditorium are wonderful too. Seriously recommend anyone to go out of their way to visit and experience this.. especially if you have a remote interest in stringed instruments. And for those of you who are enthusiasts... This may very well be...

lf you are in Cremona you can not miss this beautiful Museum, is absolutely fantastic! It tells the history of the violin and the bow instruments in a simple and engaging way. The audio guide is very well done, and the interactive workstations let you see how a violin is made and follow the step-by-step construction without ever boring.The staff is very nice and attentive, and the museum is also fully accessible by wheelchair people, like my mom. The price of the entrance is definitely what is offered. You can listen to lots of pieces, and certainly not to miss is the short concert with a museum tool. We were lucky to hear the Stradivari Stauffer 1700 cello - former Christians played by Georg Faust: simply sublime! The museum itself is a journey through the world of...