Scan 50
Antonio Stradivari, his life and work (1644-1737), 1909
22 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 26. See the scan on archive.org.
1Museum. As Signor Mandelli suggests, "the matter of the desecration of the grave was perhaps too lightly decided on; in fact, the reverence now felt for everything appertaining to Stradivari had then penetrated but little in Cremona." The town council, however, shortly afterwards decided to dedicate one of the principal streets to his memory, and on several occasions since that period Signor Mandelli and others have striven to induce that body to raise a monument worthy of Cremona's most famed citizen, but unfortunately financial disability bars the way.
3As already stated, the site of the church is now a fine public garden. On the pedestal of one of the ornamental vases which adorn the grounds is engraved an inscription, which we translate as follows:—
5HERE WHERE FORMERLY STOOD
6THE CONVENT AND CHURCH OF
7THE DOMINICAN INQUISITORS
8THE TOWN COUNCIL
9HAVE PROVIDED
10A PLEASANT PROSPECT
11OF TREES AND FLOWERS
121878.
14It is gratifying to be able to add that a commemorative tablet has also been placed on the wall of the house in the Piazza Roma in which Stradivari lived and died. It bears an inscription to the following effect:—
16HERE STOOD THE HOUSE
17IN WHICH
18ANTONIO STRADIVARI
19BROUGHT THE VIOLIN TO ITS HIGHEST PERFECTION
20AND LEFT TO CREMONA
21AN IMPERISHABLE NAME AS MASTER OF HIS CRAFT.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.