Cremona in a weekend

Cremona is the city where, for nearly 500 years, violins have been created and the jewels of the past have been studied, restored and played.

The sound echoes in the violin makers’ workshops: wonderfully creative spaces you could spend hours visiting. There are over 150 in the city. The world’s greatest soloists have been here, from Uto Ughi to Accardo. The memory of the past is entrusted to the futuristic Museo del Violino, where multimedia installations and precious specimens of Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri introduce visitors to instruments and their amazing secrets.

The perfect Auditorium. The Cremona Auditorium is a sinuous wooden hull with the stage in the middle and a heavenly sound quality, pride of Yasuhisa Toyota, the wizard of acoustics. This is the only place where you can listen to the sound of historic instruments like the Stradivari “Vesuvius 1727”, one of the masterpieces of the Museo del Violino collections, entrusted to international soloists for the cycle of “Audizioni”. Or you can attend two famous international festivals devoted to two exceptional personages: Stradivari and Monteverdi, whose works are featured every year also at the Teatro Ponchielli. Or experience the explosion of energy that accompanies summer in Cremona, when young musicians from all over the world come here to attend one of the prestigious international masterclass.

A drone’s view. Enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city centre: it’s pure wonder. Next to the Duomo stands the Torrazzo, the city’s landmark par excellence and Europe’s highest brick tower. From a height of 112 metres, the view encompasses domes, buildings and green lawns as far as the River Po. Climb the 502 steps for an all-embracing view.

T for Torrone (nougat). When the art of bakery becomes history. Tradition has it that the legendary mix, made of egg white, honey and almonds, was born here in 1441, on the occasion of the wedding of Bianca Maria Visconti to Francesco Sforza. In autumn, the “Festa del Torrone” is a big happening for anyone with a sweet tooth, who can lose themselves among flag waving, tastings and show cooking. An opportunity to discover hidden corners of the city, like the courtyard of the 15th century Palazzo Fodri.

In the secret Roman heart. The Roman Cremona is like a hidden treasure, protected by a deconsecrated Romanesque church. Between the 13th century aisles of San Lorenzo, paved with mosaic floors of the end of the 1st century BC, the remains of the necropolis, a nymphaeum decorated with Egyptian blue tiles, and the reconstruction of a domus tell about the ancient Roman city. With silent enchantment.

A concert at the Violin Museum’s Auditorium, the masterpieces of Stradivari and the operas of Monteverdi at the Teatro Ponchielli, the workshops of the luthiers, the view from Torrazzo. Five reasons to visit a city with the aroma of nougat