TOURISM: MAZZALI “IN CREMONA +17% STAYS IN 2023.
THE CITY OF VIOLINS MUCH LOVED BY ITALIANS”
The regional councilor speaks at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Cremona-Piacenza
Of Stefano Passaquindici
“Cremona is growing as a tourist destination, the numbers say so: in 2023 there were 66,143 stays, 17% more than in 2019, the golden year of tourism, for a total of over 457 thousand overnight stays, to which Italians (66%) contributed more than foreigners (34%). The proof that local tourism, of Italians and Lombards, is very dynamic here.” Citing data from the Regional Observatory for Tourism and Attractiveness, says Barbara Mazzali, Councilor for Tourism, Territorial Marketing and Fashion of the Lombardy Region, speaking today at the conference on ‘Cultural heritage and territory, experiences of the Cremonese territory’ at the Catholic University of Cremona-Piacenza. Also present, in addition to academic personalities, was Liborio Stellino, ambassador and permanent delegate of Italy to UNESCO. Web searches also confirm the growing attractiveness of Cremona: 86.6/100 digital tracks mention the City of Music, placing the Violin Museum in first place among the desired destinations (466).
CREMONESI VIOLINS, A UNESCO HERITAGE SINCE 2012 – “The art of the Cremonese artisans is a true art of making bowed instruments, a unique practice which in 2012 became a UNESCO Intangible Asset”, emphasizes the Councillor, who last July took part in the inauguration of the reopening, after 343 years, of the historic residence-workshop where the Cremonese luthier, Antonio Stradivari, lived, father of the most famous violin in the world and excellence of the Italian artistic heritage. “A choice of high attractive value”, comments the Councilor today.
“IN CREMONA THE ART OF ‘KNOWING’ MUSIC NOT WITH THE NOTES BUT WITH THE HANDS” – “Cremona responds perfectly to the demand for experiential tourism, which in Lombardy is also intertwined with the beauty of artisan ‘know-how’, which here stands out in that art of ‘making music’ which is not just genius in composing melodies with notes, but it is also building fine instruments such as violins with your hands.”
THE SECOND TALLEST BELL TOWER IN ITALY IN CREMONA – The symbol of the city is the Torrazzo, a bell tower dating back to the year 754, 112 meters high, the second tallest in Italy. “The charm of this Roman-era city is certainly linked to culture, but also to experiences in nature, thanks to its position on the banks of the Po river, where you can find a dense network of embankments and cycle paths, or why not opt for a mini river cruise. Without forgetting the culinary excellence, which makes the Cremonese area unique: nougat and Grana Padano”, concludes the regional councilor.
