Annibale Fagnola was one of the greatest 20th Century Italian violin makers. He was born in Montiglio Monferrato

Montiglio Monferrato

Montiglio Monferrato is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located in the Valle Versa about 30 km east of Turin and about 20 km northwest of Asti. It was created in 1998 by combining the three ancient communes of Colcavagno, Montiglio and Scandeluzza...

, Italy in 1866, and in 1894 moved to Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, where he worked until his death in 1939. His instruments today are prized for their beautiful craftsmanship and sonorous tone. He was largely self-taught, though may also have studied with Marengo-Rinaldi. Through beautiful copies of important violins by Guadagnini

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini

Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ; was an emiliano luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.-Biography:...

, Pressenda

Giovanni Francesco Pressenda

Giovanni Francesco Pressenda was an Italian violin maker.He completed his apprenticeship in Turin, probably in the workshop of French violin makers such as Lété and Calot....

, Oddone and Rocca

Giuseppe Rocca

Giuseppe Rocca was an Italian violin maker of the 19th century.Rocca's preferred models were the 1742 Alard Guarneri and the 1716 Messiah Strad...

, he transmitted the tradition of the 18th and 19th Century Piedmontese masters and made it his own. He exhibited at Genoa and Milan in 1906 where he gained international recognition and his business blossomed. He gradually developed his own style, and made his best instruments during the 1920s.