The Museo del Violino in Cremona, Italy, is a string instrument museum that exhibits both contemporary and historical pieces, including masterpieces of famous luthiers Antonio Stradivari, Guarneri del Gesù and Andrea Amati. The original nucleus of the museum’s collection dates back to 1893, when the Stradivari Museum was established with Giovanni Cerani’s private collection and later enriched by the 'friends of Stradivari' network. In 2013 the collection was moved to Palazzo d’Arte, which benefits from an auditorium and a research centre.
Visitors can explore the five-century history of violin craftsmanship, discovering the masterpieces, original tools and moulds of Cremona’s classical violin makers. Contemporary Cremonese violin makers are also represented by a permanent collection. The Museo del Violino hosts major musical concerts, temporary exhibitions and violin making workshops. The museum also organises an international 'triennale' violin making competition, nicknamed the 'Olympics of violin making'.