Italy System-Stradivari Family (Stradivari Family)

Antonio Stradivari is undoubtedly one of the most well known and greatest luthiers in all of history. His residence and luthier workshop are both still preserved and open to the public to visit and appreciate. A plaque in front of his workshop says that it was because of his meticulous and great art that Cremona is such an unforgettable city.

Stradivari was constantly experimenting with different shapes for the body of his instruments, and eventually he established the highest standards ever sought, which would eventually become the source for numerous imitations and replicas. Stradivari took the form, ratios, varnish and timbre of the violin to its zenith. Among all of his contemporaries, the superior structure and incomparable beauty of his instruments’ timbre were something no other individual was capable of attaining. It was not until the appearance of Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) that someone finally produced violins that could be compared to those of Stradivari. However, Stradivari’s varnish was still of the highest quality, and is considered an extremely successful creation.

His two sons Francesco Stradivari (1671-1743) and Omobono Stradivari (1679-1742) continued the family tradition. Influenced by their father’s pursuit of perfection and discipline, the two brothers also made outstanding instruments, but they are not well known because their father lived to be very old and was so prolific that their achievements are rarely acknowledged. They were never able to share their talent with the world. The two brothers died not long after their father passed away, and the family tradition died with them.