Francesco Ruggieri
Encyclopedia
Francesco Ruggieri (Also known as Rugier, Ruggeri, Ruggerius) was perhaps an apprentice of Nicolò Amati
, another important luthier
in Cremona
Italy
, although other sources call this association into question.
In support of Ruggieri being a pupil of Nicolò Amati there appears a court case brought in 1685 by a violinist who sought relief from the Duke of Modena as a victim of fraud. In this case, the violinist, one Tomasso Antonio Vitali, bought a violin purporting to be a creation of Nicolò Amati. Yet under the Amati label was the label of Francesco Ruggieri. There was a price difference in those days of 3 to 1 on Amati vs. Ruggieri violins, so this was a serious matter. However, this case may also indicate that Ruggieri, who was working in the shadow of the great Cremona makers—Amati, Guarneri
and Stradivari, resorted to a desperate act to make a sale. The result of the court case is not known, but either scenario could prove valid.
In any event, Francesco was the first of an important family of violin makers. His progeny were:
Although Francesco Ruggieri made violins and violas, his importance stems from his development of a smaller version of the cello
that is now the standard. All instruments created by Ruggieri are highly desirable owing to their superior construction and tone.
Amati
Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.-Andrea Amati:Andrea Amati was not the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today...
, another important luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
in Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, although other sources call this association into question.
In support of Ruggieri being a pupil of Nicolò Amati there appears a court case brought in 1685 by a violinist who sought relief from the Duke of Modena as a victim of fraud. In this case, the violinist, one Tomasso Antonio Vitali, bought a violin purporting to be a creation of Nicolò Amati. Yet under the Amati label was the label of Francesco Ruggieri. There was a price difference in those days of 3 to 1 on Amati vs. Ruggieri violins, so this was a serious matter. However, this case may also indicate that Ruggieri, who was working in the shadow of the great Cremona makers—Amati, Guarneri
Guarneri
The Guarneri is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati and Stradivari families...
and Stradivari, resorted to a desperate act to make a sale. The result of the court case is not known, but either scenario could prove valid.
In any event, Francesco was the first of an important family of violin makers. His progeny were:
- Giovanni Battista Ruggieri (1653-1711) was the eldest son of Francesco Ruggieri.
- Giacinto Ruggieri (1661-1697) was the second son of Francesco Ruggieri.
- Vincenzo Ruggieri (1663-1719) was the third son of Francesco Ruggieri.
- Antonio Ruggieri was the son of Giacinto Ruggieri.
Although Francesco Ruggieri made violins and violas, his importance stems from his development of a smaller version of the cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
that is now the standard. All instruments created by Ruggieri are highly desirable owing to their superior construction and tone.