Music Shops in Italy

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hannaugh

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Well, my inlaws decided not to go to Prague for a winter vacation and instead we are going on a Northern Italian/Austrian summer vacation.  We'll be going to Milan, Venice, Cremona, Verona, Padua, the lake district, the Dolomites, maybe Bologna, and probably Innsbruck, maybe Vienna when we get into Austria.  We might go to Switzerland for a day too, not sure what city.  We're still planning everything out.  We'll be there for about 2 weeks. 

My question: where are the good music shops?  I don't know if I can afford to buy anything, if I did, it would be very small.  But I want to see cool old instruments.  I figure Cremona is one of the best places in the world to see violins, so I'm excited about that.  I would love to see some unusual instruments too though.  Does anyone have any suggestions? 

In addition, does anyone have any general recommendations on what to see in any of those places.  We might go see an opera in Milan at their big famous opera house (if we can convince my husband's dad to wear a suit), and we plan on seeing as much Da Vinci and Michaelangelo stuff that we can find, but beyond that, we're still trying to figure out what is the best stuff to see. 
 
Try to find some Rick Steve's Europe travel videos. He has made several that feature Italy.
 
My mother in-law has the Rick Steves Italy guide.  I just got the Fodor's Italy guide, so I'll be checking that out. 

My mom and I are planning a long UK & Ireland trip for either 2013 or 2014, and we're probably going to hit Paris for a couple days, so I also picked up the Paris guide while I was at it.  I already have a bunch of UK & Ireland books.

 
hannaugh said:
My mom and I are planning a long UK & Ireland trip for either 2013 or 2014,
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You are going to love Ireland!!!  I spent a month a few years ago just driving around Ireland. 
The people are so friendly and the country so beautiful, you cannot help but enjoy youself. 
Be sure to get a guide for the Bed and Breakfast establishments in Ireland.  They are the only
way to lodge in Ireland.  Out of thirty days in Ireland, we spent two nights in a regular hotel and the experiences were awful.  All other nights in B&B's and every one was a special time.  Plus, they are
dirt cheap and you are able to discover all the local attractions from the folks that live there.
Have a great time and have safe travels... :icon_thumright:
 
Thanks!  I've actually been to Ireland before.  My husband and I spent our honeymoon there just driving around and staying at B&Bs.  We loved it!  We are really into ancient history, old church ruins, and castles, so it was like Disneyland for us. 
 
hannaugh said:
Well, my inlaws decided not to go to Prague for a winter vacation and instead we are going on a Northern Italian/Austrian summer vacation.  We'll be going to Milan, Venice, Cremona, Verona, Padua, the lake district, the Dolomites, maybe Bologna, and probably Innsbruck, maybe Vienna when we get into Austria.  We might go to Switzerland for a day too, not sure what city.  We're still planning everything out.  We'll be there for about 2 weeks. 

My question: where are the good music shops?
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Dragon Music - Forlì
Sergio Tomassone - Bologna.
Centro Chitarre - Napoli (my fav)
 
I'm pretty sure no one else here really cares, but Bologna is the home of Ducati motorcycles, you can tour the factory and the museum if you're into that sort of thing.

The duomo in Milan is pretty cool but I'm sure all the travel books mention that one.
 
I'm sure my father and brother in-law will be all over the motorcycle factory.  :laughing7:
 
Museo Stradivariano in Cremona:
http://www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/cremona-city-gave-birth-to-stradivari-and-his-violin-1.64671

A must-read:
"Stradivari's Genius: Five Violins, One Cello, and Three Centuries of Enduring Perfection" by Tony Faber
He really brings the time alive - scoring primo wood, the "varnish controversy", and the competition with the crosstown rival Guarneri and Amati families.

If you start going deep (and California has a good inter-library book program :laughing7:) this is another great one:
"Antonio Stradivari: His Life and Work (1644-1737)"  by W. Henry Hill
The Hill family have been the world's best violin re-sellers for a few hundred years (or so), and this is the most technical regarding construction - kind academic/textbookish.

And if the violin bug bite you, another great one is this:
"The Violin Maker: A Search for the Secrets of Craftsmanship, Sound, and Stradivari"  by John Marchese. It's about a modern luthier who makes his reputation restoring the great old violins, and then decides to make his own - better than Stradivari's or Guarneri's. (!) It follows the construction of one instrument for a member of the Emerson String Quartet, but it ranges all over the subject - it's the most interesting of these books as a book.
Can I be your seeing-eye dog? We fly free.... :hello2:
 
StubHead said:
Can I be your seeing-eye dog? We fly free.... :hello2:
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Did you just say what I thought you said:
i-wanna-be-your-dog.jpeg
 
Thanks for the book recommendations.  I was thinking about reading up on Cremona history and Stradivarius before the trip.  I'm really excited about that part of the trip especially.
 
Mayfly by VOX said:
DesmoDog said:
I'm pretty sure no one else here really cares, but Bologna is the home of Ducati motorcycles,
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??? ??? ???

I really care!

:headbang:
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I guess I should have said "not many other people here"  :doh:

Anywhos... if you are considering visiting Ducati here's the info:
http://ducati.com/company/visit_us/index.do?tab=museum

I have a short video on youtube showing some of the museum tour but I can't get to youtube from work so just go search ducati museum on youtube...
 
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