The International Museum And Library Of Music, Bologna

The International Museum and Library of Music in Bologna is a rather extraordinary gem. Not only is it home to a rather exceptional and vast collection of books, paintings and musical instruments, but it is also an incredible beauty and a well-run and friendly place to visit and spend time.

People enthuse over everything from the audio guides to the peacefulness of the library, the frescoes to the quality of the collection. Just find a holiday rental in Emilia-Romagna and spend time in this pretty museum, taking in Italy's rich musical history.

Opened in 2004, the International Museum and Library of Music is split between two locations. The museum is located in the Palazzo Sanguinetti, in the city center and the library is located inside the convent of San Giacomo Maggiore, alongside the G.B. Martini music conservatory.

Palazzo Sanguinetti, is a true beauty situated in the historical centre of Bologna and is named after the last family who lived there, before donating it to the state. Carefully restored before it was opened to the public, it was constructed in the 16th century and was added to and expanded over the years. In the 18th and 19th centuries frescoes by some of the most important Neoclassical painters – such as Pelagio Palagi, Serafino Barozzi, and Antonio Basoli, under the direction of Vincenzo Martinelli – were commissioned to decorate the building and remain one of its most attractive features to this day. They are also one of the most important examples of frescoes from the Napoleonic and Neoclassical period in Bologna.

On display throughout the museum are mostly antique musical instruments – more then eighty beautifully crafted musical instruments of times long gone by – harpsichords, spinets, oboes, English horns, flutes, vertical and grand pianos among them. Dating between the 17th and 20th centuries, from Europe and beyond, they are the stars of the show.

However, there are also over one hundred portraits of famous figures from the history of music, a collection based around a core formed by the famous picture gallery of 18th century composer and music theoretician Padre Giovanni Battista Martini. The library, meanwhile, is a beautiful and peaceful space that is home to an amazing array of rare musical manuscripts, librettos, autographs and letters dating back to the 1500s up until the 1700s.

Both can be visited and the museum, in particular, is a fascinating treat for music-lovers and architecture enthusiasts alike who might be exploring this beautiful city in Emilia-Romagna.