Italy and its Lute-makers and theatrical artisans

Born and raised in Venice, Riccardo Guaraldi trained as a luthier at the Civic School of Violin Making in Milan, where he learned the first principles of the restoration and building of stringed instruments. He then worked with great professionals in the field, by restoring precious Italian 18th-century violins and building his own instruments for […]

How can one not succumb to the charm of Venetian masks and to the world’s most elegant Carnival? For a taste of its atmosphere, visit the artisan atelier in Dorsoduro Ca’ Macana which, since 1984, a time of renaissance for the Venetian Carnival, has been creating traditional and artistic papier-mâché masks, entirely handmade by using […]

A Venetian entrepreneur, fashion designer and luxury event planner, she is the creator and artistic director of Il Ballo del Doge, the world’s most exclusive Carnival ball. These are the many faces of Antonia Sautter, the champion of Made in Venice. At her atelier and creative workshop, she makes amazing period and allegorical costumes, in […]

A young luthier from Cremona, the land of the art of making stringed instruments, Lucas Fabro soon developed a passion for this art, in particular, for the physics of instruments and its importance in acoustics. At his workshop, he makes violins, violas and cellos, both modern and baroque-style, from scratch taking personally care of every […]

The activity of luthier Martino Quintavalla originates from a passion for music and manual work but draws on the technological and scientific approach matured during his previous work as a researcher in materials engineering and the experience in the workshop with luthier Federico Gabrielli with whom he carried out a research project on mandolins, funded […]

Claudio Arezio began working as a luthier in 1979, under the guidance of the masters Igino Sderci and Roberto Ignesti. In his Florentine workshop he builds violins, violas and cellos, both modern and baroque, starting from the internal form as in the tradition of classical Italian luthiery. In 2001, on commission from the Accademia Gallery […]

Flaunting the title of Maestro Liutaio is a young American woman, Jamie Lazzara, who – despite a brilliant career as first violin decided instead to devote herself to the construction of these delightful objects. After a diploma from the Luthiery school of Cremona, Jamie decided to move to Italy, and in 1987 opened a workshop […]

In 1998, Paolo Sorgentone, an expert in the traditional Cremonese method, and Michele Mecatti, master luthier himself, put their professional experience and skills together to start their own workshop in Florence. Their main activity is the construction of string instruments, which are entirely made by hand, one by one, with traditional artisan methods and well-seasoned  […]

Alberto Giordano is an internationally-renowned luthier, who specializes in the construction, preservation and restoration of string instruments. For over thirty years, he has been building by hand violins, violas and cellos, some of which are now part of major collections worldwide. The workshop, which was started in 1987, offers a wide choice for professionals, students, […]

Started in 2003 by Stefano Zanderighi and Marco Golinelli, Liuteria d’insieme is a workshop that deals with the making, assistance and restoration of a wide range of string instruments, from the oldest to the most modern ones. All musical instruments are crafted by hand and built to the customer’s specifications. The accurate selection of woods, […]

Angelo Raffaele Andrulli is a skillful luthier who makes and repairs by hand string instruments (violins, violas and cellos) and related accessories, such as chin rests (made with wooden materials, mostly maple-wood and olive-wood from the Matera and Altamura areas), tailpieces and tuning pegs. Instruments of the highest craftsmanship decorated, on request,  with elaborate bas-reliefs, […]

This workshop practices an art born in France in the 1800s, which soon became popular across Europe, especially among the aristocrats:  wig making. Started in 1936, Paride, which has been elevated to the status of Historic Shop of Milan, creates custom-made items by using only natural hair of the highest quality: wigs, hairpieces and extensions, […]

Andrea Restelli is an extraordinary keyboard instrument-maker and expert, who has been making faithful replicas of harpsichords, fortepianos and clavichords since 1985. He was the first in the world to rebuild the 1749 Gottfried Silbermann fortepiano, kept in Nuremberg, identical to the one played by Bach. He has recently made replicas of early nineteenth-century fortepianos, […]

Born in Trieste in 1957, Fabio Di Natale began studying modern transverse flute at the age of 11 and, seven years later, he was attracted to the one-keyed flute soon after he played it by chance. From then on, he devoted himself to the study of original instruments kept in museums or private collections. In […]

Many musicians, both Italian and foreign, know very well where the Jacaranda luthier’s shop is and that is where they go to have their instruments custom-made. Daniele Fierro and Davide Fossati make top-quality electric string instruments, from basses to guitars. The three master luthiers-entrepreneurs have all the tools of the trade to carry out each […]

Carlo Chiesa is one of Milan’s best craftsmen, besides being a great researcher and expert on the history of string instruments and the most illustrious luthiers. In his workshop, he builds both modern and Baroque-style instruments, such as violins and violas da gamba, by working the different woods and carving them. The author of many […]

For Lorenzo Rossi, it all began by going with a friend to a workshop to have a guitar repaired. And it was love at first sight: he decided to pursue that craft as his path in life, firstly, at the Civic School of Lutherie, and then by working as an apprentice in illustrious luthiers’ workshops. […]

Paoletti Instruments was established in 2010, but its creations have become a favorite with internationally-renowned musicians in a very short time. The first was Maurizio Solieri, Vasco Rossi’s guitarist, but many are the stars who now play Fabrizio Paoletti’s personalized guitars and basses, including Bruce Springsteen and Keith Richards. From the selection of woods to […]

Started in 1720, when the wig fashion spread from the French court to Italy, Filistrucchi is Florence’s oldest shop. Set up as an artisan workshop supplying wigs, fake beards and moustaches for both theatrical and private use, over the years Filistrucchi has also become a school and a specialist in masks, special effects and professional […]

The Morassi dynasty began with Gio Batta, who gave and gives a voice to some of the most prestigious contemporary instruments in the world. He is not only a great master luthier, but he is also the founder of the Italian Luthier Association, aimed at promoting the luthier culture. The same love, method and skill […]

The De Bonis family is a dynasty of luthiers that have been producing guitars in Bisignano for many years: Rosalba, the current custodian of the family tradition, is the sixth generation.  The De Bonis luthier produces fully hand-crafted classical guitars and “chitarre battenti” in Via Giudecca using traditional techniques. The latter are a rarity, as […]

The success of an unprecedented plan B. Francesco Sabatini, a young biologist, decided to turn his passion for traditional crafts into a full-time job and in 2009 he opened the Liuteria Sabatini making musical instruments. What can you expect from his workshop? The best instruments of the Abruzzo folk tradition, Italian double chantered pipes and […]

Giampiero Giustozzi’s firm works in Castelfidardo, the home of his accordion and diatonic instrument production. For four generations, he has been making these instruments, passing on the artisan traditions and the passion for this trade from father to son. The use of precious materials, skilled craftsmanship and the unmistakable sounds, guarantee the excellence of the […]

Andrea Di Maio is a skilled constructor of Arpicordi (harpsichords) and antique keyboard instruments. Each instrument is created entirely by the author, from design to decoration and, even if made following the European traditions, is never an exact copy of a precise historical instrument. To understand the care and professionalism that Di Maio puts into […]

An artistic journey through the history of the Carnival of Venice and  of Commedia dell’Arte, but also worlds of fantasy. We are talking about  La Bottega dei Mascareri, the historic location on the Rialto Bridge and atelier on the nearby Calle dei Saoneri. Started in 1984 by Sergio Boldrin along with his brother Massimo, the […]

As a stage and screen actor, Stefano Nicolao developed such a passion for costumes that, in 1980, he started his own workshop which has become, over time, very popular with major theatres all over the world and international filmmaking productions. Clothing, linens, headgear, cloaks… fabulous costumes featured in prestigious collections such as at New York’s […]

Pietro Gargini is a young luthier, born in 1980. His passion, after graduating in architecture with a thesis on the mechanics of the violin, has already led him to work and take specialisation courses with nationally and internationally famous masters of this art He now divides her time between building and restoring musical instruments. Many […]

Born as a carver and engraver, Francesco Mario Bissolotti discovered his passion and talent for violin making in the 1950s. He continues to cultivate his passion along with his children in the workshop he opened himself in Cremona. An expert in the ancient Cremonese art of violin making and connoisseur of the art of constructing […]

The luthier Calace was founded in 1825 by Nicola Calace, guitar builder, and later his son Antonio took over the business, dedicating himself to crafting fine mandolins. The son Raffaele, composer, musician and luthier, defined as The Paganini of the mandolin, carried on the family tradition, winning prestigious international awards. Currently the grandson Raffaele Jr. […]

Since 1981, Camillo Perrella has been designing and creating guitars of the highest quality, with a powerful sound and unique timbre. Made in a strictly traditional fashion, technically flawless, but also deeply personal and innovative, they are the result of incessant research into pure sound and the aesthetic of authentic beauty. A Master Luthier with […]

UFIP was first opened at the beginning of the last century as a distribution company, therefore with a purely commercial function. Over the years, however, the increasingly precise knowledge of the needs of the market has turned this company into a dynamic business that produces cymbals and percussion instruments. Today UFIP is a company that […]

Aldo Illotta’s passion for string instruments and in particular guitars started about 25 years ago. For the last 15 years, he has been dealing exclusively in guitars, to begin with standard classical guitars and then, a few years later, steel string, acoustic, baritone, 7-string and 12-string guitars. Inspired by the Master luthiers of the past, […]

Pietro Cavalazzi is one of the rare master bow makers. He has been making bows on commission for violins, violas, cellos and double basses since 1983, both for students and for well-known musicians. His distinctive mark is the symbol of the Milan cathedral on the frog. In his fascinating shop, he uses his skill and […]