Matteo Goffriller

Founder of the Venetian School.

He was born in Bressanone in 1659, near the border with Austria.

Around 1685 he moved to Venice and studied luthiers under the Fussen-born luthier Martin Kaiser (1642-1695).

Goffriller later married the Kaiser's daughter and took over the workshop, becoming famous as the only violin maker in Venice in the early 18th century.

It is believed that Domenico Montagnana (1687-1750) and Francesco Gobetti (1675-1723) also worked in Goffriller's workshop.

Although it was produced under the strong influence of the Cremonese school of the same period, it also has attractive features characteristic of the Venetian school, such as the deep red varnish, small scrolls, and rounded, slightly upright F-holes.

In particular, the cellos made by Goffriller, along with those made by his pupil Montagnana, are highly acclaimed, and are also famous for being favorites of the great maestro Pablo Casals (1876-1973).

*There was a time when cellos made by Goffriller were relabeled with Carlo Bergonzi (1683-1747), causing confusion.

In the first half of the 18th century, Venice experienced a period of prosperity for string instrument making that rivaled that of Cremona, with Goffriller being followed by Gobbetti, Montagnana, his pupil Santo Serafin (1699-1776), Pietro Guarneri (1695-1762) from Cremona, and Carlo Tononi (1675-1730) from Bologna.

He died in 1742 at the age of 83.

Quote《The Brompton's Book of Violin and Bow Makers》《les violins》