Gaetano and Pietro Sgarabotto

His son, Pietro Sgarabotto (1903–1990), born in Milan, still produced masterworks as late as 1979; both worked for their entire lives in Italy as master violin makers.

The works of both the Sgarabotto makers is characterised by their meticulous choice of materials, the workmanship always being "manual" in every phase of the process, and showing precision and loving care to detail.

The violin making of the Sgarabotto makers is always graceful, that of the father Gaetano said to be presenting a lighter touch whilst the graduation used by Pietro is more consistent.

[3] Liuteria Parmense - In Parma, the 20th century tradition (of violin making) commenced with Gaetano Sgarabotto, who served his apprenticeship in the workshop of the Bisiachs, and can therefore be traced back to a Milanese origin.

As is known, after the death of the last great Cremonese Masters after the middle of the 18th century, only the Cerutis remained in Cremona to prevent that memorable tradition from dying out completely.

However the most important event for the renaissance of violin-making in Lombardy was certainly the meeting between Riccardo Antoniazzi and Leandro Bisiach; the latter, thanks to his talent, his taste and his business ability succeeded in founding, at the end of the 19th century, a workshop which soon gained international fame.

Bisiach was an outstanding figure in the commerce of antique violins but above all had the merit of raising a generation of great luthiers, among whom for example Sderci, Borghi, Ornati and Garimberti come to mind.