Tens of millions of years ago, a river originating the Alps, which extended southwestwards across Europe, formed a beautiful, undulating valley—the Po Valley. It is located in the most productive region of Italy. The oldest documented inhabitants in this area were the Gauls. The Po Valley later became part of the territory of the Roman Empire established by the brothers Romulus and Remus. Cities dotting the Po Valley today were established during the Roman Empire, including Cremona and Brescia – the two cities that have already achieved a reputation as the cradle of the violin in the past few hundreds of years. Cremona is on the southern bank of the Po, whereas Brescia is situated north of the Po Valley, at the foot of the Alps. These two cities are both several kilometers away from the middle of the Po Valley.

   According to the earliest literal and pictorial documents, the modern violin family displays some features of the culture of the Po Valley, reflecting the local social environment. Although the exact date is still under deliberation, there is no doubt that the instruments of violin family emerged in the early sixteenth century during the Italian Renaissance. Most likely it was instruments such as the rebec, the violetta, and the lira da braccio that inspired artisans to make the first violins. To do so, they borrowed manufacturing techniques from artisans of other bowstring instruments. The violin immediately became very popular. It was used to accompany dancing and other entertainments. It was even occasionally used in religious ceremonies. In the early sixteenth century, ensembles brought the violin to courts and cities beyond the borders of cultural Italy. They introduced this new instrument to the wider world.

   The invention of the violin cannot be attributed to a single individual. Rather, it grew out of a cultural context to which many now forgotten craftsmen contributed. The business and inheritance of the Italian violin making are preserved through apprenticeship and many iconic violin makers were closely associated with each other.