Museo degli Strumenti Musicali

Museo degli Strumenti Musicali sits within the historic Castello Sforzesco in Milan, across five rooms numbered 34 to 38. You find more than 700 instruments spanning the 15th to the 20th century, from European string, plucked, wind and keyboard instruments to examples from Africa, China, Japan and Australia.

The collection began in 1958 with instruments acquired from Natale Gallini, a master from Crema, and later expanded through the Monzino collection donated by Antonio Monzino in 2000. Forty-eight mandolins include Milanese examples made by Giuseppe and Carlo Fixer in 1759, while the displays also feature Baroque instruments, violins, violas and guitars. A Cremonese violin attributed to Andrea Guarneri dates from around 1650, and Giovanni Grancino made the featured viola in 1662.

Among the most distinctive objects, a harp-guitar stands beside a guitar and two mandolins in a display focused on luthier craftsmanship. An ivory oboe by Anciuti from 1722 and a tenor recorder by Bressan add striking detail to the wind-instrument collection.