Melting pot of cultures
Architecture, painting and music had long been in full bloom in Venice when the first lute makers settled there in the 16th century. Many of them, such as the Sellas brothers or Michael Straub, originated from the Füssen area.
The oldest Italian viola de gambas known to us were made by the Venetian Francesco Ventura da Linarol. It was not until around 1670 that violin making became established in the city on the lagoon thanks to Martinus Kaiser from southern Germany. With the arrival of his future son-in-law Matteo Gofriller (1649-1742) from Bolzano in 1695, the rise of Venetian violin making began. Gofriller employed numerous violin makers, from both southern Germany and Venice. Among them was Domenico Montagnana, whose cellos are amongst the most coveted today. Petrus Guarneri (1695-1762) joined them from Cremona, whilst Carlo Tononi (1675-1730) came from Bologna. The many different stylistic influences found fertile ground in Venice. Nowhere else was music such an important part of the culture. At times in the 17th and 18th centuries, as many as 20 opera houses existed side by side. Composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, Allessandro and Benedetto Marcello or Giovanni Legrenzi left their mark on the city’s vibrant musical scene.