The surrounding streets are also home to several theatres, including the famous Teatro alla Scala – one of the most iconic opera houses in the world, just ten minutes away on foot. Milan has a rich tradition of violin-making, an art it has always excelled in, creating superb instruments through supreme artisanal skill.

The city is home to the Civica Scuola di Liuteria or Civic School of Violin-Making, founded in 1978, which has done so much to train the specialist craftspeople who construct and restore stringed instruments. The school has moved with the times, mastering new technologies and collaborating with cultural, trade and research associations to offer its students a complete education. It has also partnered with leading Italian and international institutions on numerous period-instrument restoration projects.

To round off your musical experience, you’ll meet a practising violin-maker and visit their workshop in Milan.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to discover how stringed instruments like violins, violas and cellos are made and restored using traditional methods and fine woods. You’ll also learn how reproductions of antique models can be created in an approach that mixes modern technologies and traditional techniques.

Milan’s master luthiers represent the ongoing evolution of an age-old tradition that is still thriving and indeed growing here, a comfort and joy for musicians and music lovers alike.