|
Costly strings attached
17/11/2004 10:04 - (SA)
Cremona - An expensive Stradivarius violin is at the centre of a legal battle between London and Cremona, the Italian town where its maker, Antonio Stradivari, was born.
The violin, a rare "Vesuvious 1727" valued at £300 000 by Sotheby's, has been donated to the town council by its owner, Remo Lauricella - a British musician of Italian origin who died in England last year.
In his will, Lauricella instructed his heirs to allow "young and promising musicians" access to the instrument.
The problem is that the violin is currently being held in London's Royal Academy of Music. And for the instrument to reach Cremona, the city council is being asked to pay £82 000 in British inheritance tax.
"We have instructed our lawyers to look into the matter and see if there is any way in which we can avoid paying the tax, because clearly the council could spend the money in other ways," a Cremona town council spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Mayor Gian Carlo Corada has said he wants the instrument added to the town's Stradivari collection, which currently boasts two other violins by the famous maker. But his coffers are far from full.
Should he be forced to pay the inheritance tax, the mayor is considering passing the hat around and asking his citizens to contribute to the costs.
Born in 1644, Stradivari established his shop in Cremona, where he remained active until his death, in 1737.
His violins served as models for violin makers for more than 250 years and are still considered among the finest in the world. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA
|
South Africa
