Antonio Stradivari and Cremonese Violin Making
The Workshop, the Varnish Theories, and Modern Blind Tests
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This guide explores the techniques of Stradivari's predecessors like Nicola Amati, who founded the Cremonese school of violin making. It covers the traditional craftsmanship methods, the mysterious varnish recipes, and modern scientific attempts to replicate the sound of old instruments. The book includes detailed information about Stradivarius instruments, their construction, and how they compare to modern copies tested in blind listening sessions.
Whether you're a musician, a collector, or simply curious about how one man's workshop shaped centuries of musical history, this book offers an accessible look at the science and art behind the world's most famous violins.
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Overview
Antonio Stradivari, an Italian luthier who lived from around 1644 until his death on December 18, 1737, crafted string instruments including violins, cellos, guitars, violas, and harps. The Latinized version of his last name, Stradivarius, and the common nickname “Strad” are often used to refer to his work. He made roughly 1,116 instruments, with about 960 of them being violins. Of those, around 650 survive today, including between 450 and 512 violins. His creations are widely regarded as among the finest ever made and are highly prized by collectors.
Early life
Antonio Stradivari was born in Cremona between 1644 and 1649, with his exact birthdate uncertain due to conflicting historical records. His family had deep roots in the city, with the name traced back to at least the 12th century. His parents, Alessandro Stradivari and Anna Moroni, married in 1622 and had at least three children before a gap in baptismal records from 1628 to 1644, possibly due to war or lost documentation. Stradivari likely began his training with Nicola Amati around age 12 or 14, though some evidence suggests he may have learned from Francesco Rugeri instead. His early violins show little resemblance to Amati's work, and he did not consistently credit his master in labels. One of his earliest instruments, dated 1666, reads "Alumnus Nicolai Amati," but this claim is unverified. He produced his first notable instruments around 1660, and by 1665, he was labeling them himself, marking the start of his independent career.
Early career
Antonio Stradivari likely developed his style gradually, with early violins often smaller in scale, though the 1679 Hellier violin stood out with larger proportions. His pre-1684 instruments contrasted sharply with those of Amati, featuring a sturdier build and less rounded curves. By 1680, he had gained recognition, and in 1682, a Venetian banker commissioned a full set for King James II of England, though their fate is unknown. Five years later, Cosimo III de' Medici purchased more instruments. After Amati's death in 1684, Stradivari's output increased and his style evolved—dimensions grew, and he leaned toward Amati's earlier work. In 1688, he began cutting a sharper bevel and outlining instrument heads in black. His early career allowed room for experimentation, and though his early work is often seen as less refined, his skill in carving heads and inserting purfling was already remarkable. The 1690 "Tuscan" violin exemplified this. By 1680, Stradivari moved to Piazza Roma, living and working near other Cremonese families like the Amatis and Guarneris, where he stayed for his entire life.
"Golden" period and later years
In the early 1690s, Stradivari began making violins with a larger pattern than before, known as "Long Strads," and started using a darker, richer varnish instead of the yellower one used by Amati. He stuck with this style until 1698, with only a few exceptions. Then, between 1698 and 1700, he returned to a slightly shorter model that he continued using until his death. The years from 1700 to 1725 are often called the "Golden Period" of his work, during which his instruments are considered higher quality and fetch much higher prices. Though some later pieces from the 1720s onward show signs of aging, many still possess a fine tone. One example is the 1734 'Habeneck,' which displays heavier and looser craftsmanship.
First marriage
Antonio Stradivari married Francesca Ferraboschi on 4 July 1667. The 1659 Easter census shows the Ferraboschi family living just four houses from the Amati residence, suggesting they may have known each other. Francesca was a widow of Giacomo Capra, with whom she had two children; her brother shot Capra in 1664 on what is now Piazza Santa Agata and was later exiled but allowed to return. After their marriage, Stradivari moved into a house in his wife's parish, where they had their first child, Giulia Maria, three to four months later. They lived there until 1680, having five more children: an infant son who died after a week, then Francesco, Catterina, Alessandro, and Omobono Stradivari. Around 1680, Stradivari bought a house at No. 1 Piazza Roma—formerly No. 2 Piazza San Domenico—for 7000 lire, paying 2000 upfront and finishing the payment by 1684. That home was near other violin-making families like the Amatis and Guarneris. He likely worked in the loft and attic, and stayed there for the rest of his life. Francesca died on 20 May 1698, and her funeral was elaborate, held five days later.
Second marriage
On 24 August 1699, Antonio Stradivari entered into his second marriage with Antonia Maria Zambelli, who was thirty-five years old at the time. The couple went on to have five children together, from 1700 through 1708. These children were named Francesca Maria, Giovanni Battista Giuseppe, Giovanni Battista Martino, Giuseppe Antonio, and Paolo.
Death
Antonio Stradivari passed away on December 18, 1737, in Cremona at the age of ninety-three. He had spent nearly three-quarters of his life making musical instruments. His final resting place is the Church of San Domenico. Eight years before his death, he had purchased a tomb from a local family, replacing their name with his own on the stone marker.
Will
In 1729, Antonio Stradivari made his will, leaving wealth among eight living heirs including his wife. His second wife Zambelli received clothing, bed linens, household items, and half her jewelry. Their eldest daughter Antonia was to be raised by their two oldest sons. Annunciata Caterina was given her jewelry, clothing, linens, and income from loans. Youngest child Paolo inherited six finished violins valued at 1,000 lire, along with some household goods and cash. Three children who entered religious life were also provided for: Maria, a nun, received an annuity; Alessandro, a priest, got income from a home mortgage loan; and Giuseppe, another priest, was left income from half a share of a pastry shop. His two sons from his first marriage each received annual payments—150 lire and 300 lire respectively—and his other daughters were given 170 lire and 100 lire. Omobono, who had left home at eighteen to work in Naples, was left six violins. Francesco, named his father's successor, inherited the rest of the estate, including all tools, stencils, finished instruments, patterns, and presumably his father's reputation. In 1733, Francesco bought his youngest brother a partnership in a local textile firm for 25,000 lire.
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Overview
Cremona is a city in northern Italy, in the region of Lombardy, located on the Po River in the Po Valley. It's the capital of its own province and serves as the center for local government. The city is famous for its deep musical roots, especially in violin making. Some of the most celebrated luthiers in history came from here, including Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri, Francesco Rugeri, Vincenzo Rugeri, and members of the Amati family. Their work shaped the future of stringed instruments, and their names remain central to the story of Cremonese violin making.
Celtic origin
Cremona first appears in historical records as a town settled by the Cenomani, a Gallic Celtic tribe who moved into the Po valley around 400 BC. But the name itself is much older, and even the people of antiquity found it confusing, offering strange guesses at its meaning.
Roman military outpost
In 218 BC, the Romans set up their first military outpost north of the Po river, keeping the name Cremona. That year, they also founded Placentia nearby, both meant to push into what would become the Roman Province of Gallia Cisalpina. Cremona grew quickly as a major town in northern Italy, located on the main road between Genoa and Aquileia. The Via Postumia ran through it, and the town supplied soldiers to Julius Caesar, who benefited from his rule. Later, Cremona supported Marcus Junius Brutus and the Senate against Augustus. After Augustus won, he confiscated Cremona’s land in 40 BC and gave it to his own men. The poet Virgil, who had gone to school there, lost his ancestral farm because of its reputation, but eventually got it back.
Destruction
The city of Cremona grew rich and strong until 69 AD, when it was attacked and destroyed during the Second Battle of Bedriacum. The Roman troops of Vespasian, led by Marcus Antonius Primus, fought to place Vespasian as emperor against his rival Vitellius. Tacitus described the event in his Histories. Though Cremona was rebuilt with help from the new emperor Vespasian, it never regained its former wealth or importance, and it eventually faded from history.
Early Middle Ages
As the Lombards moved into northern Italy during the latter part of the sixth century, Cremona stood firm as a Byzantine bastion within the Exarchate of Ravenna. The city extended its reach toward the north-west, pushing beyond its original limits. Outside the existing walls, a large trenched camp was constructed, signaling both expansion and the need for defense during this turbulent time.
Lombard Possession
In 603 AD, Cremona fell under the control of the Lombard King Agilulf, who destroyed the city once again. Its lands were then split between the duchies of Brescia and Bergamo. But by 615, Queen Theodelinda, a committed Roman Catholic ruler focused on converting her people, had Cremona reconstructed and re-established a bishop there.
Holy Roman Vassal
After Charlemagne's conquest of Italy, Cremona fell under the control of its bishop and became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. This shift brought steady growth in power and wealth to the city, with several bishops holding significant influence during the 10th and 11th centuries. One such figure, Bishop Liutprand of Cremona, served at the Imperial court while the Saxon dynasty ruled. Another, Olderic, secured important privileges for Cremona from Emperor Otto III. The local economy expanded with the development of a river port built on the site of a former Byzantine fortress. Later, disputes arose between the city's people and two bishops named Lambert and Ubaldo. To resolve the conflict, Emperor Conrad II entered Cremona in 1037, accompanied by the young Pope Benedict IX.
Medieval Commune
Under Henry IV, Cremona stood firm against the Empire and the bishop, refusing to pay the heavy taxes they demanded. According to legend, the city’s great gonfaloniere, Giovanni Baldesio, even confronted the emperor in single combat. When Henry was thrown from his horse, the city was spared the annual payment of a 3 kg golden ball. That year, instead of going to the crown, the golden ball was given to Berta, Giovanni’s girlfriend, as part of her dowry.
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Overview
Nicola Amati, also known as Nicolò Amati or Nicolao Amati, was an Italian master luthier who lived from December 3, 1596, to April 12, 1684, in Cremona, Italy. He belonged to the famous Casa Amati, and his workshop was a center of violin making in the Cremonese School. Among his students were Andrea Guarneri and Giovanni Battista Rogeri, who went on to become renowned luthiers themselves. Although there is no clear documentation that Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, or Jacob Stainer were apprentices in Amati’s shop, their work shows strong influence from his style.
Early life
Nicola Amati was the fifth son of Girolamo Amati, known as Hieronymus I, who was born in 1561 and died in 1630, and his second wife. His mother, Laura de Lazzarini, also called Laura de Medici de Lazzarini, came from a family distantly connected to the Florentine Medici dynasty. Nicola was one of twelve children in the Amati household. In 1630, during the Italian plague that struck northern and central Italy, including Cremona, the disease took his father, mother, and two of his sisters. After their deaths, he lived with his sister until he married.
Amati style
Among all the violins created by the Amati family, those made by Nicola are frequently seen as most adaptable for today’s playing. In his youth, he built instruments that closely matched his father's style, using a smaller design with a high arch that reached almost to a ridge at the center of both the front and back. The names Andreas, Antonius, Hieronymus, and Nicolaus were commonly used on the labels of these instruments, and the family name was sometimes written as Amatus.
Nicola Amati style
Beginning in 1630, Nicola Amati gradually began to develop his own unique approach, which by 1640 had fully emerged as the "Grand Amati Pattern." These instruments were slightly larger than earlier models, with backs measuring up to 35.6 centimeters in length and widths reaching 20.9 centimeters, giving them a greater sound capacity. The design featured well-curved shapes, long corners, and sharply defined purfling. This style embodied the peak of elegance in violin making, with precise mathematical proportions and a clear, amber-hued varnish. The Grand Amati Pattern would go on to influence other Cremonese craftsmen such as Vincenzo Rugeri and early works by Antonio Stradivari.
Distinguished apprentices
After the 1629-1631 plague nearly destroyed Cremonese luthiery, Nicola Amati carried on the tradition alone. By the 1640s, demand grew, and he took apprentices from outside his family, including Andrea Guarneri, who later founded the Guarneri dynasty. Francesco Rugeri may have also been one of his pupils, though census records don't list him in the Amati household—perhaps he lived at home while learning. He sometimes marked his instruments "Alumnus Nicolai Amati," like the 1663 violin signed "Francescus Rugerius Alumnus Nicolai Amati fecit Cremonæ." Nicola's son Hieronymus II, known as Girolamo, was also a pupil. Antonio Stradivari likely apprenticed under Nicola too, though evidence is slim; a label from 1666 reads "Alumnus Nicolais Amati." Dendrochronology links a Stradivarius harp from 1681 to an Amati cello made in 1679. But Stradivari's early instruments resemble Rugeri's more than Amati's, and he notably omitted the dorsal pin used by all of Nicola's confirmed pupils—except himself. W.E. Hill & Sons acknowledged they cannot find Stradivari's hand in any of Nicolo Amati's work, though Guarneri's and Rugeri's influence is clear. Other documented students include Giovanni Battista Rogeri, Matthias Klotz, Jacob Railich, Bartolomeo Pasta, Cristofori, Giacomo Gennaro, Giacomo 'Tedesco,' Giacomo Reilich, and Giovanni Segher.
Personal life
Nicola Amati married Lucrezia Pagliari on 23 May 1645, and their union was witnessed by his pupil Andrea Guarneri, who signed the register. The couple had four sons and four daughters. Their son Girolamo Amati, known as Girolamo II, was born in 1649 and became the family’s final luthier, living until 1740. Nicola Amati himself died on 12 April 1684, at the age of 87, in Cremona, Italy.
Performers with Nicolo Amati instruments
Nicola Amati’s violins are so rare that most of them are locked away in museums across the globe. You can find his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museo del Violino in Cremona, and the Royal Academy of Music Museum in London. Still, a few musicians have had the privilege of playing on Amati instruments. Thomas Bowes plays a Nicola Amati violin, and Chi-chi Nwanoku (OBE) plays an Amati double-bass. These are not just historical pieces—they’re still being used by performers today.
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Overview
Antonio Stradivari, known in Latin as Antonius Stradivarius, crafted over 1,100 string instruments in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His work includes violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, with about 650 surviving today. These instruments are celebrated for their craftsmanship and unmatched sound, with many selling for millions. The secret to their famed tone remains a mystery, with theories linking the wood's quality during the Little Ice Age or unique varnish recipes. Despite modern scientific efforts, including acoustic analysis and CT scans, no one has fully replicated the sound. Blind tests since the 19th century have often found no significant difference between Stradivarius instruments and top modern violins, challenging their legendary status. Still, these instruments are played by leading musicians and displayed in museums like the Museo del Violino in Cremona. Projects such as the Stradivarius Sound Bank aim to preserve their sounds for future generations.
Construction
Stradivari built his violins using an inner form, not an outer one like French copyists, experimenting with dimensions throughout his career. His instruments used spruce for the top, willow for internal blocks, and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. The sound is described as direct and precise, responding elegantly to touch. Scientists found aluminum, copper, and calcium in the wood, possibly from preservatives used by loggers or applied by makers. Some believe he used Vernice bianca, an egg tempera varnish. Jean-Philippe Echard discovered that even when varnish isn't visible, it can be detected in the wood layers, suggesting Stradivari used a local mixture rather than creating his own. A 2008 study found no major differences in density between modern and classical violins, but noted that density differentials were significant. The wood came from high-altitude Norway spruce in the Eastern Alps, especially from Trentino, with sources traced to Val di Fiemme during Stradivari's golden age starting in the early 18th century.
Market value
A Stradivarius from the 1680s, or during his “Long Pattern” period from 1690 to 1700, can be worth hundreds of thousands to several million dollars today. The 1697 “Molitor” Stradivarius sold for $3.6 million in 2010 to violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. Instruments made during Stradivari’s “golden period” from 1700 to about 1725 are worth millions; his “Lady Blunt” violin from 1721 was sold for $15.9 million in 2011. A “Macdonald” viola was put up for auction in 2014 with a minimum bid of $45 million but did not sell. Stradivarius instruments are so valuable they’re often stolen, though many are recovered—like the General Kyd, returned after three weeks, or the Lipinski, found after an armed robbery in 2014. Some remain missing, including the Karpilowsky, stolen in 1953, and the Le Maurien, taken in 2002.
Comparisons in sound quality
The Stradivarius violins are celebrated for their sound, yet experiments dating from 1817 to 2014 have never shown a difference in tone between them and other high-quality instruments made by comparable makers and in similar styles. In a 1977 BBC Radio 3 test, violinists Isaac Stern and Pinchas Zukerman, along with dealer Charles Beare, were unable to correctly identify more than two of four violins played behind a screen—including one from 1739, one from 1846, and one from 1976—none of which was the Stradivarius. In 2009, Matthew Trusler played his 1711 Stradivarius alongside four modern violins by Michael Rhonheimer; one made with fungus-treated wood received 90 votes for best tone, while the Stradivarius came second. A 2012 study found expert players couldn't distinguish old from new instruments in a small room, and although a Stradivarius placed first in a concert hall, audience members were unsure which was better. In 2017, modern violins were rated as having better sound-carrying ability. Still, some top soloists like Christian Tetzlaff have switched to modern instruments, finding them superior for certain repertoire.
Theories and reproduction attempts
Some believe Stradivari's finest instruments possess a quality that can't be replicated, and over the centuries, many theories have tried to explain it. One idea suggests the wood came from old cathedrals, but that's been dismissed. A more recent theory links the exceptional sound to the Little Ice Age, around 1645 to 1750, when cooler temperatures slowed tree growth, creating denser wood. Scientists Henri Grissino-Mayer and Lloyd Burckle published findings in Dendrochronologia supporting this. In 2008, researchers from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands used X-rays and found that the violins had remarkably consistent wood density. Another possibility is that the maple came from northern Croatia, where harsh winters created dense timber traded by Venetian merchants. Joseph Nagyvary claimed analysis of a Stradivarius showed borax, fluorides, chromium, and iron salts, and that some wood had rotted, perhaps in the Venice lagoon. Steven Sirr worked with others to CT scan a Stradivari called the "Betts," using density data to help recreate it.
Sound preservation
In January 2019, the Museo del Violino in Cremona launched an effort to preserve the sound of Stradivarius instruments. A team of musicians recorded a variety of musical passages on two violins, a viola, and a cello, including a well-known 1727 violin called "Vesuvio." The session took place in a controlled setting with nearby streets closed to reduce noise, and over one million audio files were gathered using multiple playing techniques. These recordings, now known as the “Stradivarius Sound Bank,” are stored permanently at the museum. Fausto Cacciatori, the museum’s curator, noted that while the tones of such instruments naturally evolve over time, this project ensures future listeners can still hear their original sound.
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Mandolins
There are just two Stradivari mandolins still in existence today. The earlier one, made in 1680, is called the Cutler-Challen Choral Mandolino and it's held at the National Music Museum of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. The other mandolin dates to around 1706 and belongs to a private collector in London named Charles Beare. It’s known as the Mandolino Coristo and it has eight strings.
Bows
A bow known as The King Charles IV Violin Bow is held today by a museum at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. It has the object number 04882. This bow is attributed to the workshop of Antonio Stradivari and dates to around 1700. There is another bow also linked to the same workshop, one that was once part of three collections: the Amaryllis Fleming, the Paul Rosenbaum, and the Maurice and Marta Clare. That second bow now resides in a private collection in Munich.
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Overview
In 2012, during the seventh session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Paris, UNESCO recognized Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona — known in Italian as Saperi e saper fare liutario della tradizione cremonese — as an intangible cultural heritage. This ancient form of handicraft, rooted in the city of Cremona, has been passed down through generations, with the creation of bowed string instruments such as violins, violas, cellos, and double basses dating back to the 16th century. The tradition remains alive today, preserving techniques and knowledge that define the distinctive Cremonese style.
Technique
In Cremona, luthiers developed techniques that remain the gold standard in violin making today. The process involves assembling over seventy wooden pieces, each shaped with specific methods tailored to the wood’s acoustic qualities, which means no two violins are ever alike. Every part uses carefully chosen and seasoned wood, and the work cannot be industrialized due to its handcrafted nature. A luthier works entirely by hand, never using sprayed varnish, and every step is personally overseen from start to finish. This meticulous process limits production to just three to six violins per year. The craft has been passed down through generations since the 16th century, when the Amati family began refining the art, later perfected by Stradivari, Guarneri, and others.
Protection
The ancient craft of violin making in Cremona is safeguarded by two groups: the Stradivari Violin Makers Consortium and the Violin Making Italian Association, which includes over 140 makers. A school dedicated to this tradition, the Cremona International Violin Making School, opened on 12 September 1938. After UNESCO recognition, the Violin Museum at Palazzo dell'Arte in Cremona was reopened in 2013, fully renovated with a new auditorium for listening to music played on instruments made there, both old and new.
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Overview
The Amati family were Italian violin makers who lived in Cremona from around 1538 to 1740. Their work is considered just as important as that of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Nicolò Amati created violins that are now valued at about $600,000. Because of how old and rare these instruments are, most Amati violins are kept in museums or private collections and are not often played in public.
Andrea Amati
Andrea Amati, working in Cremona, Italy, created the designs that defined the violin, viola, and cello we know today. Though makers from nearby Brescia like Gasparo da Salò and Micheli experimented, it was Amati who established the standard form and construction methods for the modern violin family. He made his first cello in 1538, and by 1560 he had crafted a set of 38 instruments—violins, violas, and cellos—for Catherine de Médicis, queen regent of France. These were decorated with gold and featured her son Charles IX’s coat of arms and motto. Only 14 of these instruments survived until the French Revolution. Amati’s work stood out for its use of fine materials, elegant craftsmanship, and a varnish that was soft, clear, and amber-colored.
Antonio and Girolamo Amati
Andrea Amati was succeeded by his sons Antonio Amati and Girolamo Amati, known as "the Brothers Amati." Antonio lived from around 1537 to 1607, and Girolamo from about 1551 to 1630. The brothers introduced major innovations in violin design, particularly in refining the f-hole form. They are believed to have begun producing the modern alto viola, though this idea is not entirely accurate, as Gasparo da Salo had already crafted violas ranging from 39 centimeters up to 44.7 centimeters.
Nicolò Amati
Nicolò Amati, born on 3 December 1596 and dying on 12 April 1684, was the son of Girolamo Amati and widely seen as the most skilled violin maker in the family. He refined the designs of his predecessors, creating instruments that could produce a stronger, more powerful tone. His model was notably small, though he also crafted a larger version known today as the "Grand Amati," which are now among the most prized violins. Among his students were Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Guarneri, the latter being the first of the famous Guarneri family of makers. There is debate over whether Stradivari actually apprenticed under Amati, since while the label on Stradivari’s earliest known violin claims he was a pupil, that statement is questioned.
The Trampler ca 1580
In the 1580s, a violin was crafted in Cremona by Andrea Amati, possibly completed by his brothers Girolamo and Antonio Amati, though some experts like Charles Beare and Jacques Francais believe it may be earlier, closer to 1580. The instrument, originally about forty-seven centimeters long, was later shortened around 1800. Its ribs bear the Latin inscription: "Non AEtesin Homine sed Virtus Consideramus," which translates as "We consider not the man of the season but virtue." A certificate from Simone F. Sacconi attributes it to the Brothers Amati around 1620, but that date is disputed. The violin appeared in a publication by Riley in 1980 and was featured by Tarisio.
The ex Vieuxtemps
Nicolo Amati made a violin around 1663, and it shows his careful craftsmanship. The top is two-piece spruce with medium-width grain that widens toward the edges. The back is quarter-sawn maple with faint flame, mostly horizontal, and so are the ribs and scroll. The varnish is orange-brown over a golden ground. Inside, there’s an original printed label reading: "Nicolaus Amatus Cremonen. Hieronymi Fil. ac Antonij Nepos Fecit. 1663."
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Overview
The Museo del Violino in Cremona houses a remarkable collection of stringed instruments, including violins, violas, cellos, and double basses made by master craftsmen like Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù. Originally called the Museo Stradivari, the museum showcases the finest work of these legendary luthiers, whose creations are still celebrated today for their beauty and craftsmanship. Visitors can see firsthand the skill and artistry that went into each instrument, from the careful shaping of the wood to the final finish. This is where the history of violin making comes alive, offering a window into the world of Cremonese craftsmanship.
History
At his death in 1883, Enrico Ceruti passed his workshop objects to Michelina, widow of his son Paolo, who was married to Giovanni Battista Cerani, a close friend and instrument dealer. Cerani later donated instruments by great Cremonese luthiers, including Antonio Stradivari, to the town of Cremona in 1893, establishing the Museo Stradivari. The museum was later enriched by Count Ignazio Alessandro Cozio of Salabue, a leading collector whose detailed notes helped shape understanding of Italian violinmaking. In 1920, Giuseppe Fiorini of Bologna bought original Stradivari tools from the count's descendants to create an Italian lutherie school, but after ten years, donated the collection to Cremona's Town Hall in 1930. The municipal administration placed the items in the Palazzo Affaitati as the "Stradivarian Room," which later moved through several locations before settling in the current museum building, officially inaugurated on 14 September 2013. UNESCO declared "Cremonese traditional violin craftsmanship" an intangible cultural heritage on 5 December 2012.
Other attractions
At the back of the museum, in what was once the Palazzo dell'Arte’s assembly hall, lies the Giovanni Arvedi auditorium, a 464-seat space designed by architects Giorgio Palù and Michele Bianchi together with acoustical engineer Yasuhisa Toyota. Centered in the room is a small elliptical stage measuring 85 square meters, where soloists and chamber orchestras perform. The Polytechnic of Milan and the University of Pavia established two scientific research laboratories here for studying violin-making and diagnostic research. Outside the museum, Catalan artist Jaume Plensa's sculpture L’anima della musica stands tall—a four-meter-tall half-body figure covered in musical notes.
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