Artistic Musical Craftsmanship as a Resource for Sustainable Cultural Tourism: The Case of Italian Artistic Violin Making and the UNESCO Intangible Heritage ‘Traditional Cremonese Violin Craftsmanship’

The music that is performed with strings and pinch instruments has a very ancient origin. Lute is a string instrument that is plucked and has oriental origins. Its construction, over the centuries, has given rise to the art of violin making. Today, this craft encompasses the conception, design, and realization of a musical instrument utilizing high tech materials and construction techniques. Despite technological advancements, it has retained a significant manual component. This tradition is exemplified in European centres of excellence such as Granada, Mirecourt, and Cremona. In Italy violin-making expertise is evident in numerous cities including Turin, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Cremona. Cremona stands out, being declared a UNESCO intangible heritage site for the art of violin making in 2012. Consequently, the process to draw up the “Plan of traditional Cremonese violin making know-how” started. This represents the synthesis between the craftsmen luthiers and the entire network of the Cremona community. That said, this paper focuses on Italian violin making, particularly of Cremona, with the aim of illustrating: (a) the current state of this artistic and artisanal specialization; (b) its cultural and entrepreneurial value; (c) its role in the society; and (d) the network of reciprocal relationships with various agents and stakeholders that sustain its existence and further development. Given the contemporary landscape of lutherie, one wonders whether this art is a territorial resource for local development, fostering the growth of sustainable cultural (musical) tourism. The research was conducted using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Following an initial phase of investigation into primary and secondary sources, we conducted semi-structured open interviews with representatives of organizations and institutions involved in the governance of the musical city of the Cremonese violin making.