Francesco Bissolotti

Francesco Bisolotti was born in 1929 in Solesina, province of Cremona.

After working as a woodworker, he began studying luthier making.

In 1957 he entered the Cremona National School of Luthier Making, where he studied under Pietro Sgarabotto (1903-1990), a violin maker from Parma.

He was also influenced by Giuseppe Ornati (1887-1965) and Ferdinando Garimberti (1894-1982), who taught repair at the school, as well as Gio Batta Morassi (1934-2018), who would later be revered as a modern master.

The person who had the greatest influence on Francesco in his younger days was Simone Fernando Sacconi (1895-1973).

Sacconi, a leading expert on Stradivari who worked for Wurlitzer in New York and author of "The Secrets of Stradivari," met Francesco while visiting a school in Cremona. He was captivated by his talent and continued to share the knowledge and experience he had gained through his own research with Francesco.

This experience laid the foundation for Francesco's development into a symbolic manufacturer of the Cremonese revival.

In this way, Francesco not only revived the inner frame production method used in Cremona's golden age, but also further developed it, becoming a manufacturer revered as a modern master.

His four sons, Vincenzo (1948-), Marco Vinicio (1956-), Maurizio (1957-), and Tiziano (1959-1995), are also active as luthiers.

Francesco also taught at the Cremona School for many years, and had many pupils, including Lorenzo Cassi (1974-), Andrea Cabrini (1973-), and Pietro Virdis (1971-).

Died in Cremona on January 31, 2019 (aged 89).