Andrea Amati - Opera Omnia - I violini del Re
SEPTEMBER, 29TH - OCTOBER, 14TH - MUSEO CIVICO “ALA PONZONE” - PALAZZO AFFAITATI - Via Ugolani Dati 4 Cremona

Cremona 2007, as 500 years ago in the Andrea’sstreets Park in Piazza Roma, in the center of town, where the church of St. Domenico o nce stood, marks the place where Andrea Amati was laid to rest in 1577. Directlyopposite, the April XXV Gallery, and a stone’s throw away, a copy of Stradivari’s headstone.On the right, via Guarneri del Gesù, formerly the contrada dei Coltellai, where Andreaplied his trade starting in 1539. At thetime, the street crossed the Strada Magistra, now known as Corso Campi; to the right wasAndrea’s parish church, named for the saintsFaustino and Giovita. By walking up the Strada Magistra, then turning into the contradadi S. Vincenzo, now via Palestro, and continuingon to via Ugolani Dati, o ne reaches the MuseoCivico. In the portrait gallery of the 1500swe find a display of the instruments fashionedby Andrea Amati, Magister of the Italian Rennaissance and citizen of an extraordinary town: in the 1500s, Cremona boasted 37,000souls, and many among them devoted their efforts to art, whether painting or sculpting,carving or inlaying wood or creating architectural masterpieces. It was the Cremona of Campiand Sofonisba Anguissola, of Marc’Antonio Ingegneri and Claudio Monteverdi. Havingentered the Museum, ascended the wide staircase and passed through the Hall of the Columns, we can admire the works painted by the city’s artists in the sixteenth century; canvases and boards, some of them originally hungin the church of St. Domenico. This hallwill house the Opera Omnia, including the instruments made for Charles IX, which managed to survive the French Revolution and are now five centuries old. It will be a unique,unmatchable exhibit, which, along with the cataloguing of the instruments and the interdisciplinary studies, constitutes the final act of a triennial program, undertaken to honor the father of Cremonese violin makers.
An extraordinary event, made possible by the collaboration of institutions, museums, experts, musicians and collectors from aroundthe world. A viola and a violin will be sent from the famous collection of the Ashmolean Museum, in Oxford, as well as four of  the Andrea’s instruments from National Music Museum at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion (Usa). The Cremona exhib it will also feature other instruments,on display for the first time or o nly recently rediscovered. It will be a singular opportunity and a precious occasion for historical research,a chance to study archives, instruments and decorations of the period. As we leave the Palazzo, we can enjoy the pleasure of a well-deservedrest, during which to converse and perhapssatisfy another of the five senses. Ludovico Cavitelli, local historian and a contemporary of Andrea, wrote of another exceptional inventiona scribed to the citizens of Cremona: “sometownsfolk... thought up a delicious dish...a kind of sausage.. made with pork or beef, minced and round and spiced with powdered pepper … and other flavors, and stuffed in the animals’ intestines and then tied upand immediately cooked over a fire, in water,or roasted...”. A noble invention, now acelebrated tradition. There’ll be no troublefinding a fine restaurant and your favorite food.

Paris, January 24, 1564
The young King Charles IX and the Queen Mother,Caterina de’ Medici, set off o n a journey that will take them through the streets of their realm. Behind them follow their formidable wardrobes, gold and silver cups and bowls,costumes for the theater. A real army trails after the court, with out counting the counselors,ambassadors, chancellors, monks, priests, pages and ladies. A procession of thousands.The most massive propaganda campaign evermounted by a monarch of the times. Of course, the magnificent parade needed a marching band, among which the famous violons italiensdu Roi. In June 1564, the court reached Lyons.The procession entered the city and passed several times beneath the columns decorated with Charles IX’s coat of arms, underscoring the symbolic significance of compassion andjustice. o n June 21, les violons italiensdu Roi appeared before the notary EdouardFiard of Lyons, for the drawing up of someofficial acts. Among them stood the Cremona violinist Geronimo Margarino. The followingyear, in June of 1565, the court reached Bayonne. In the city is treated to a seriesof processions, banquets and balls. There are many musicians present, among which atleast six of the King’s violins. In the firstdays of May 1566, the court returned to Parisand its traditional rhythms; the King’s Italian violins returned to its habitual role asorchestra for banquets and balls. A few years later, in 1573, Caterina put o n a ballet for the Polish Ambassador that transcended its audience and left a mark o n history. Les violons italiens du Roi had grown, their ranks swelling from the five or six of someyears before to nearly thirty. Around the figure of the Italian violinist Baldassare of Belgioioso, the group had grown to resemblea string orchestra. Among the violons there were other musicians from Cremona: in fact,in addition to those of Geronimo Margarinoand his son Carlo, the names of Pietro Francesco Carubello and Battista Carubello also appeared.Which instruments were the King’s Italian and Cremonese maestros playing? Very likely the decorated instruments made by Andrea Amati between 1564 and 1574. The very same instruments that we will have a chance to admire shortly, in Cremona, in the halls of Palazzo Affaitati, which houses the Civico Museo.