Amati

Amati refers to a Cremonese family of luthiers whose work greatly influenced violin making in the 16th–18th centuries. The patriarch, Andrea Amati (c. 1505–1577), is often credited with founding the Cremonese violin tradition. His workshop produced some of the earliest violins in the modern shape, along with violas and cellos, and he served patrons across Europe, including the Medici court. The instruments from Andrea established the basic proportion, arching, and varnish characteristic of the Cremonese school.

Andrea's sons, Antonio Amati (c. 1550–1607) and Girolamo Amati (1569–1640), continued the family workshop and refined craftsmanship. Girolamo's son Nicolo Amati (1596–1684) became the leading figure of the family, known for technical refinement, generous inventories of instruments, and a distinctive model line that set the standard for later Cremonese makers. Nicolo's workshop educated a generation of luthiers, most famously Antonio Stradivari, who apprenticed there in the 1660s and 1670s and who would go on to redefine violin making.

The Amati legacy is seen in the influence their forms, arching, and varnish had on the Cremonese tradition. Surviving Amati instruments are highly prized and are held by major museums and private collections. The family produced instruments and violas and cellos over several generations, contributing to the Cremonese school's reputation for high craftsmanship.