Annibale Fagnola – Violin Maker (1865 – 1939)

Annibale Fagnola, considered one of the finest Italian violin makers of the early 20th century, was born in 1865 in Montiglio Monferrato, near Turin. Starting out his career as a self-taught guitar maker in his hometown, he eventually moved to Turin in 1893 and apprenticed under the guidance of violin maker Romano Rimaldi. 

In 1899, he opened his own shop where he focused on producing copies of Stradivari, Pressenda, Rocca and Guadagnini violins. These instruments were reported to be nearly indistinguishable from the originals. As his style evolved, Fagnola grew to favor Pressenda as his model, and he developed a reputation for his exceptional copies of Pressenda instruments, as well as his use of orange-red or golden-yellow varnish.

Fagnola earned numerous awards during his career, including prizes at exhibitions in Geneva and Milano in 1906, and a gold medal in Turin for his quartet in 1911. Later, he developed his own style and his instruments from the 1920s are generally considered his finest.  

Annibale Fagnola died in 1939 in Turin.