Andrea Guarneri played a key role in the story of Cremonese lutherie. A pupil of Nicolò Amati, he was the forefather of a major dynasty of luthiers whose influence extended to other local schools through the work of his son Pietro ‘of Mantua’ and grandson Pietro ‘of Venice’. From 8 July to 1 October 2023 the Museo del Violino will be paying a special tribute to Andrea Guarneri, prompted by the fourth centenary of his birth but driven by the more relevant fact of the vital contribution he made to the city’s classical school.
Andrea was born not far away from Cremona, in the village of Casalbuttano, and recent studies by Fausto Cacciatori led to the discovery of the certificate of his birth, recorded in the parish registers as 13 July 1623. He moved to Cremona at a young age to begin his apprenticeship as a luthier. In 1641 the parish registers of the church of San Faustino recorded his presence as a familio, a pupil in residence, at the workshop of Nicolò Amati. Master and apprentice gradually became closer and Andrea’s responsibilities were not limited to collaborating on the production of instruments. After he married, he moved into a house nearby before opening his own workshop, where he passed on his skills to his children.