Our musical instrument making tradition dates back to the Middle Age.

Documents of 13th century show the presence in this land of a great number of musical instruments, most of them lutes and ancient violas, almost certainly locally made.

Also the famous 'violeta', owned by Santa Caterina de Vigri, still preserved at the Corpus Domini's Convent, shows great popularity of musical instruments in Bologna, perhaps also consequence of the presence of the 'Alma Mater Studiorum' (the oldest university in the world), which attracted youth from everywere from its foundation.

First documents which show the presence of lute makers downtown in the city is dated at the end of the 15th century, and the first document linked to a lute maker's society is dated 1508.

But the first illustrious figure of the craft, as it is universally recognized, is Luca Maler, who died in 1552. His importance in making lutes is absolute in the history and there are many proofs of the great technique achieved by him in this art. His fame is only obscured by the disappearance of the lute as a popular instrument, which happened in the middle of the 18th century.

Detailed essays about German lute makers, working in that period also in our region, were published in many occasions.

Certainly their presence during the 16th and 17th centuries in Bologna left a mark.

As we know the 16th century saw the development and the perfecting of an instrument which had in the following centuries a great success: the violin.

As far as the violin is concerned the city of Cremona had a central role. Briefly the art connected with its construction spread all over Europe and Bologna showed from the beginning in this sense some (peculiar?) features.

Famous families, among those, the Brensis, the Guidantis, and the Tononis, built the nucleus around which many specialized craftsmen produced masterpieces of absolute artistic and high commercial value.

Some instruments of the artists mentioned above today are quoted close to 250-300.000 Euros, and on an international basis the value of these masterpieces is becoming higher and higher with the passing of time.

Around the end of the 18th century, for social and economic reasons, this craft in Italy gradually disappeared, even though the solid tradition was locally consolidated. This phenomenon is well known and also Bologna was not an exception.