Vittorio Bellarosa

Born in Naples in 1907.

His father, Riccardo Bellarosa (1871-1941), was an instrument maker who specialized in repair, restoration, and appraisal, and who had studied instrument making in the workshops of Gagliano and Vincenzo Postiglione (1877-1927).

In 1922 (at the age of 15), Vittorio studied under Vito Vitantonio (1900-1946) in Rotello, Molise, and in 1925 (at the age of 18), he studied in Mittenwald for six months, and then studied under Rodolfo Fredi (1861-1950) in Rome.

It is said that by 1927 (at the age of 20), he had made as many as 50 violins.

He then stayed in Milan for a while with his brother Ettore (Ettore Bellarosa?-?) with the intention of opening a workshop, but this did not come to fruition and he returned to Naples around 1930.

Initially, he affixed Galliano labels to the copies, but from around 1945 he began producing instruments with his own labels, using orange to red-brown varnish made with both alcohol and oil, and he produced over 1,000 instruments in his lifetime.

Some instruments made before 1954 are branded with a seahorse.

He developed such a close relationship with fellow Neapolitan string instrument maker Giovanni Pistucci (1864-1955) that he was entrusted with varnishing work, and when Pistucci passed away in 1955, he took over the instruments and tools from Pistucci's workshop.

Several violas and three double basses have been identified, but it appears that no cellos were made.

In fact, Vittorio became the last true Neapolitan violin maker, continuing from Alessandro Gagliano (w. 1700-1730).

He died in Naples in 1979 (age 72).

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