The family workshop at
Via della Dogana, Florence
Hello! Please introduce yourselves.
We are Dario II and Lapo, from the Vettori Family, makers
of the finest violins, violas and cellos since 1935, when my
grandfather, Dario Vettori the First started creating violins in
the tiny mountainside village of Firenzuola. In that village, he
became known as “the violin-maker of the mountains”.
We are now an 84-year old practice that is wholly family-
run. My father Paolo and his brother Carlo were the only
two pupils of our grandfather, whose constant exposure to his
explorations in the craft of violin-making inspired them to set
up their own shops, finding success on their own paths.
We are third generation Vettoris who have all pursued
the same path chosen by our dear grandfather and father.
My brother and I, together with our sister Sofia, work with
our father in our family shop in Florence, where we utilize
the same workshops, tools, instruments and ideas, all borne
from a violin-making tradition that is the product of our
multi-generational learnings from various violin-making
personalities and families in Italy who taught and inspired us.
whose music we’ve answered. Our father has a lot of
passion and love for his work, and this was passed on to
us, his children. We loved watching him at work and
creating his masterpieces, which he compares to sculpting
sound. As for keeping the tradition handmade, we believe
that the quality and sound of our instruments are best
made that way. We also believe that the human touch adds
more value and warmth to our works.
Your violins are beautiful pieces of art drawn from a
mold that has been passed down through generations.
What steps were taken to keep the family process of
violin creation faithful and true to the original? Were
there changes to the design process made along the way?
We use molds and drawings from our grandfather,
who was able to amass quite a collection from his various
apprenticeships with different violin-making families across
Italy. Grandfather Dario first began with Stradivari models
but eventually transitioned to Guarneri del Gesù forms. He
was formerly a pupil of Primo Contavalli, which influenced
the deep fluting and sharp corners of his early violins, but it
was the noted Milanese luthier Giuseppe Ornati that exerted
a lot of influence on his succeeding work.
As I mentioned, we are a family of eager learners; we
collect violin molds from all over Tuscany. This is something
unique to us, and we are very proud and protective of our
collection. Tradition for us is very important and forms the
backbone of our practice as luthiers.
Your family has had a storied past in the field of violin
making, but what do you think fueled your generation
to continue the business and keep things going, and in
the handmade tradition? How was the love for violins
and music nurtured in the family?
I think what fueled us third generation Vettoris to keep
the family business going is the history and shared passion the
family has for the craft. It is something that goes beyond being
a hobby or a means of income. It is a vocation and a calling
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