Dmitry Gindin: Expert and consultant in fine stringed instruments

  

The Marchettis

Enrico Marchetti, destined to become one of the founders and most interesting makers of the modern Piedmontese school, was born in Milan. He apparently started his apprenticeship at age 14 with Luigi Bajoni, who was perhaps the last of that town's traditional makers. Later, Marchetti worked for a further few years in the shop of an obscure Milanese violin maker, Gaetano Rossi (c. 1850-c. 1883), who is also credited for having trained Giuseppe Tarasconi. Although his work from Milan is unknown, Marchetti's labels never failed to mention his Milanese heritage.

Having arrived in Turin in 1874, aged 19, Marchetti was employed initially by Benedetto Gioffredo-Rinaldi. A few years later he was working for Antonio Guadagnini. In these shops he was probably more occupied with executing repairs and helping run the business, than with creating new instruments. Around 1878 he married Camilla (Petronilla) Uliengo, a union that made him a relative of both Benedetto Gioffredo and his nephew Romano Marengo.