Nicola Bergonzi

Carlo Bergonzi – the last representative of the Golden Age of violinmaking from the immediate circle of Antonio Stradivari – had two sons, the elder of which, Michelangelo (1712–1758), followed in Carlo’s footsteps. The older literature also mentions Carlo’s younger son Cosimo (also Zosimo; born in 1724) as a luthier, but no instruments can reliably be attributed to him today. Possibly, he focused on repairs or did preparatory work for other family members. Cosimo’s eldest son, Nicola, worked as a luthier in Cremona from the late 1770s. It may be assumed that he trained with his uncle, Michelangelo Bergonzi. Little is known about his life, but many of his instruments have been preserved. Although he was so productive, Nicola Bergonzi abandoned the craft in 1804 and focused on the fabric trade.