Visitors peruse the stands at Cremona Musica 2018
Half a millennium has passed since the birth of Andrea Amati, the forefather of traditional Cremonese lutherie, and Cremona is more than ever the world capital of violin making. This city of just a little more than 70,000 inhabitants today hosts about 170 lutherie workshops. The violins crafted in these ateliers are still in great demand, as it was in the age of Stradivari and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’: musicians and collectors from all around the world come to Cremona to find the perfect instrument. These instruments are handmade masterpieces and are created in very small quantities, often on commission.