Books › The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904 › scan 47
Scan 47
The Hawley Collection of violins, 1904
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 31. See the scan on archive.org.
1ANTONIO STRADIVARI. THE HEALY STRAD AND THE EARL STRAD
3Church of San Domenico, which stood directly across the way from his house. In this family vault until 1869 reposed the remains of Stradivari and his descendants. In that year, owing to the decay into which the old church had fallen, the municipality decided to pull it down together with the adjoining convent, and to devote the site to a public park. Thus was destroyed all vestige of the Stradivari tomb. In less than 150 years the massive stones which the master had fondly hoped would perpetuate his name had perished off the face of the earth. But he needed them not. While music endures the name of Stradivari will never sink into oblivion.
5The new city park extends the length of a square, and around this square in the days of Stradivari were clustered the homes of the violin builders. There is Ber- gonzi's house, and to the left is the home of Guarnerius. And on a wall which still stands on the Piazza Roma is a small tablet which bears this inscription:
7HERE STOOD THE HOUSE IN WHICH ANTONIO STRADIVARI BROUGHT THE VIOLIN TO ITS HIGHEST PERFECTION AND LEFT CREMONA AN IMPERISHABLE NAME AS MASTER OF HIS CRAFT
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.