The Italian viol is an instrument that has not yet been fully researched; the original instruments are scarce and show severe modifications. So the making of a replica is very risky, and we have to ask the iconographical evidence for help; this is useful only for the external appearance, but unfortunately it does not tell about the internal structure or the construction method.

Brescia had a great importance in the story of the musical instruments, but also Venice and a little later Cremona had a strong role.

I usually build replicas of the Linarol or Ciciliano viols kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Wien, but also replicas of eight-shaped instruments, like a bass bearing the label of Gasparo da Salo' and the treble in the Ashmolean of Oxford.

Very interesting are also two violones: a five string, property of The Leipzig Collection, and the Gasparo "Colonna", now converted in double bass; of this original I also make a reduced size-G replica for the ESMUC class of Master Savall.

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