This statuesque small hill town was the scene of a celebrated battle in the fight for the Unification of Italy, when the Piemontese army routed the “crusaders” of the Papal forces in 1860. It now styles itself the world capital of the accordion. In its Internation Museum of Accordion you can see more than 150 examples of the instrument. The town still has a thriving musical industry and claims that the piano accordion was developed here in 1863 from the more primitive Austrian squeeze box. In October the International Accordion Festival draws musicians from all over the world ; they can transform the sound of this humble instrument into unimaginable artistry.
