Why the violin was invented and thrived in Cremona for 200 years but then faded away for just as long before making a comeback, remains a mystery.
Today, walking around Cremona, violin-makers’ workshops crop up frequently, whiffs of varnish tickle your nostrils, instruments can be seen hanging from the ceiling or on a balcony to dry, shop windows display what’s on offer. A bronze statue of Stradivarius dominates the major square in the city centre, a marble slab in a small public garden recalls where he was once buried, a plaque on a house points out where he lived, a museum exhibits his tools and drawings, as well as old and new instruments made in Cremona.
Every three years the city holds an international violin-making competition named after Stradivarius. But the spirit of Stradivarius, and other Cremonese masters, is kept alive by the daily recitals given by Maestro Mosconi at Palazzo Comunale.