Day Trip

Wednesday we took a day trip to the city of Cremona.  Although the weather made for a cold excursion, it was still good to get out and explore a new city.  It was a 2 1/2 hour drive from our home, so we got an early start to our day to ensure we could see some of the city before things shut down for the afternoon.  It was a quite morning throughout the city, maybe because of the cold temps or maybe because people were still in ferie (vacation).  January 6, is a holiday (Epiphany) so schools and businesses will be back to their normal schedules come Monday.

Cremona is most famous for its musical history and traditions, and home of some of the earliest and world renowned violin makers such as, Giuseppe Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari.  Interesting how Stradivari's Latinized surname, Stradivarius, is better known to us all.  After we ate lunch and warmed up in a pizzeria, we headed over to the Museo Stradivariano in the Cremona Civic Museum to spend our afternoon.  I am not a musician, but the history and uniqueness of the pieces could still be greatly admired and appreciated.  Stradivari made 1200 stringed instruments in his lifetime and only 600 are known to still exist today.  Two of them were on display in the musuem.  Most of the stringed instruments dated back to the 16th century.  You can follow the link above on Cremona to read more of it's unique history and its role in music history.  My dear husband could probably tell you more in this area as he studied music in college and was beyond thrilled to be so close to a Stradivarius.    

The cobbled stoned streets throughout the city center where unique and beautiful, although a little rough on the feet to walk upon.  Of course there are always unique churches and cathedrals to admire, as is typical in Italy.  Most of them were closed so we weren't able to peak inside.  There were violin maker shops located all around town, although all were closed when we passed by.  It was an all around fun time as a family, with only mild complaining about cold hands.  Here are some pictures from our outing.

Didn't catch the name of this church.  However, you can see the stone

work on the streets that I was talking about.

Palazzo (Palace) where Garabaldi stayed 

Pinecones for suveniers and they couldn't have been happier.

Here General Garibaldi was photographed on his horse on April 8, 1862

Clock tower view from inside a courtyard.

The Torrazzo, the second highest brickwork bell tower in Europe.

The Cathedral of Cremona

Surprisingly in a photgraphic mood despite the cold

From the workshop of Stradivari, you can see the process and templates

from which he created his instruments

Tools and notes of Stradivari

Antonio Stadivari

Cremona 1720, "Bavarian"

These precious faces saw seven precious violins on display in the museum: 

two Antonio Stradivaris, one Nicolò Amati, two Giuseppe Guarneri,

one Ferdinando Gagliano and one Giovanni Battista Guadagnini.

Home and workshop of Stradivari

Love, love, love these kids!