Cesare Castelli, Italian violin no. 66 (Ascoli in Piceno, 1954)

Perfectly preserved Italian violin by Cesare Castelli from 1954. Wonderful Italian tonewoods, orange-brown oil varnish, bright sound rich in overtones. Certificate of appraisal included.

Cesare Castelli, born in Ascoli Piceno in 1912, after an apprenticeship as a carpenter and initial self-taught studies, attended violin making courses at the Scuola di Arti e Mestieri there from 1940 and perfected his work under several northern Italian masters, including Giuseppe Ornati in Milan. Castelli is a representative of the somewhat forgotten but highly significant violin making tradition of the Marche region, whose forests in the southern mountains bordering Abruzzo provide excellent tonewood. Cesare Castelli, whose son Piero carries on the regional tradition of the 'liuteria', made over two hundred violins, over 70 violas, 30 cellos and several complete quartets between the 1950s and 1970s. Many of his instruments passed into the hands of members of great international orchestras (USA, England, Sweden). Several prizes in competitions testify to the great reputation that Castelli's instruments enjoyed in his time, also in Italy, including a gold medal for a quartet in Bagnacavallo in 1980.