Cremona

(Newser) - Stradivarius instruments—violins, violas, and cellos made in the 17th and 18th centuries by Antonio Stradivari of Cremona, Italy—are known for their unmatched tones. It's for this reason that the instruments are passed down and painstakingly restored over generations. Even so, their tones begin to change as the...

(Newser) - Hercules is no match for the dreaded selfie, apparently. A 300-year-old statue of the figure was busted in Cremona, Italy, by tourists trying to snap a selfie. The two visitors were reportedly climbing on the "Statue of the Two Hercules" at the historic Loggia dei Militi building when the...

(Newser) - Stradivarius violins—300 years old and valued at least $3 million each—are universally recognized as producing the richest sounds. Now, the Daily Telegraph reports, scientists believe they know why. X-rays of several old and new instruments show the wood used by 17th-century violin makers has a more uniform density...