{"id":30455,"date":"2025-10-17T11:59:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T09:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/?p=30455"},"modified":"2025-11-18T14:03:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:03:58","slug":"violon-nicola-marchioni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vichy-encheres.com\/en\/2025\/10\/17\/violon-nicola-marchioni\/","title":{"rendered":"Nicola Marchioni, dit Dom Nicola Amati : un pr\u00eatre-luthier dans la Bologne du XVIIIe si\u00e8cle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u00c0 l\u2019occasion des ventes d\u2019instruments de prestige de Vichy Ench\u00e8res, le 4 d\u00e9cembre 2025, un violon de Dom Nicola Amati sera pr\u00e9sent\u00e9. R\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 Bologne vers 1730-1740, ce nouvel instrument fait ressurgir la figure \u00e9nigmatique de ce luthier, longtemps confondu avec la c\u00e9l\u00e8bre famille Amati de Cr\u00e9mone. Gr\u00e2ce aux recherches men\u00e9es par Sandro Pasqual et Roberto Regazzi, on sait aujourd\u2019hui que sous ce nom se cache le pr\u00eatre bolonais Nicola Marchioni. La mise en lumi\u00e8re de cet instrument rare offre ainsi l\u2019occasion de red\u00e9couvrir ce luthier myst\u00e9rieux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nous remercions Roberto Regazzi pour les divers \u00e9changes ayant contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 cet article. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalogue<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 1er d\u00e9cembre 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 2 d\u00e9cembre 2025 <\/em><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 3 d\u00e9cembre 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Vente du 4 d\u00e9cembre 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
English version<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u00c9l\u00e9ments biographiques sur Nicola Marchioni<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Lizzano,<\/a>
Lizzano, province de Bologne, Pianaccio – 1964.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nicola Marchioni est n\u00e9 en 1662, \u00e0 Castelnuovo et Lizzano, sur l\u2019Apennin bolonais. Fils de Giovanni Antonio et d\u2019une m\u00e8re pr\u00e9nomm\u00e9e Maria, il montre tr\u00e8s jeune une vocation eccl\u00e9siastique. C\u2019est ainsi qu\u2019en 1687, son p\u00e8re lui constitue une dot – un appartement et plusieurs parcelles de terrains – lui permettant d\u2019entrer dans les ordres, sans \u00eatre \u00e0 la charge de l\u2019Eglise[1]<\/sup><\/a>.
D\u00e9sormais appel\u00e9 Dom <\/em>Nicola Marchioni, titre honorifique donn\u00e9 aux pr\u00eatres en Italie, d\u00e9riv\u00e9 du latin dominus<\/em> – il fut ordonn\u00e9 pr\u00eatre \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e2ge de 25 ans. Vers 1715, il s\u2019\u00e9tablit d\u00e9finitivement \u00e0 Bologne, dans la paroisse des Saints C\u00f4me-et-Damien. On ignore quand et comment il apprit la lutherie, mais Bologne \u00e9tait alors un centre important de luthiers et de nombreux artisans avaient re\u00e7u une formation religieuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Son fr\u00e8re Sebastiano, mari\u00e9 et p\u00e8re de famille, vivait lui aussi \u00e0 Bologne. Les archives mises en lumi\u00e8re par Sandro Pasqual et Roberto Regazzi sugg\u00e8rent que les deux fr\u00e8res exer\u00e7aient vraisemblablement une activit\u00e9 artisanale ensemble. En f\u00e9vrier 1732, un acte notari\u00e9 mentionnait notamment leur deux noms, \u00e0 l\u2019occasion d\u2019un pr\u00eat sollicit\u00e9 par la belle-s\u0153ur de Dom Nicola Amati, dont le montant revint au pr\u00eatre qui s\u2019engagea \u00e0 rembourser la somme et \u00e0 en payer les int\u00e9r\u00eats \u201cavec les revenus de sa vertueuse industrie\u201d[2]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019expression d\u2019origine, \u201cvirtuosa sua industria\u201d, se rencontre rarement dans les documents eccl\u00e9siastiques et doit \u00eatre comprise comme la mention explicite d\u2019une activit\u00e9 artisanale exerc\u00e9e par le pr\u00eatre. Cette archive constitue la preuve que Nicola Marchioni tirait des revenus d\u2019un travail manuel, qu\u2019il menait parall\u00e8lement \u00e0 son minist\u00e8re.
En tant que pr\u00eatre, Dom Nicola occupa plusieurs charges dans des paroisses voisines, telles que S. Andrea degli Ansald<\/em>i ou S. Maria de\u2019 Foscherari<\/em>, mais il demeura principalement domicili\u00e9 dans la paroisse SS. Cosma e Damiano <\/em>entre 1715 et 1730, puis de nouveau de 1744 \u00e0 1748, d\u2019apr\u00e8s les registres bolognais. Fait notable, ces p\u00e9riodes co\u00efncident avec les dates inscrites sur les \u00e9tiquettes de la plupart de ses instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notons enfin que le nom de famille Marchioni appara\u00eet sous des formes variables dans les documents d\u2019\u00e9poque, orthographi\u00e9 parfois \u201cMerchioni\u201d ou \u201cMelchioni\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Acte de cession de 1687 mise au jour par Sandro Pasqual. Ces informations biographiques proviennent de Pasqual S., Regazzi R., Le radici del successo della liuteria a Bologna<\/em>, Firenze, Florenus Edizioni, 1998<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> Acte notari\u00e9 de 1732, archives de l\u2019archidioc\u00e8se de Bologne, mise au jour par Sandro Pasqual<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lizzano,<\/a>
Lizzano, Appenin bolonnais.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bologne,<\/a>
Bologne, Piazza Nettuno.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aureliano<\/a>
Aureliano Milani, La Mission, huile sur bois, XVIIIe si\u00e8cle, collection M. Pradelli.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Une double vocation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Carnet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Carnet de Scarampella, conserv\u00e9 \u00e0 Mantoue. Photo de Roberto Regazzi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Le cas de Nicola Marchioni, ayant deux activit\u00e9s, n\u2019est pas isol\u00e9. Comme nous le rappelle Jonathan Marolle :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBeaucoup de luthiers exer\u00e7aient des m\u00e9tiers suppl\u00e9mentaires pour pouvoir vivre correctement. On sait par exemple que Pietro Guarnerius de Mantoue \u00e9tait violoniste \u00e0 la cour du Duc de Mantoue. Il avait un traitement annuel en tant que musicien et avait re\u00e7u le droit d\u2019exercer le m\u00e9tier de luthier. \u00c0 Venise, Francesco Gobetti, luthier magnifique, avait commenc\u00e9 comme cordonnier.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lors de plusieurs \u00e9changes avec Roberto Regazzi, celui-ci est revenu sur la gen\u00e8se de la d\u00e9couverte de l\u2019identit\u00e9 du pr\u00eatre cach\u00e9 sous le nom de Dom Nicola Amati.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cDans les ann\u00e9es 1990, je suis tomb\u00e9 sur un manuscrit conserv\u00e9 \u00e0 Mantoue : une sorte de cahier de notes de Stefano Scarampella, dat\u00e9 de 1863, dans lequel celui-ci dresse, \u00e0 un certain moment, la liste des luthiers les plus repr\u00e9sentatifs, class\u00e9s par ville. \u00c0 la rubrique \u201cBologne\u201d, un nom m\u2019a frapp\u00e9 : Dom Nicola Merchioni, dit Amati, avec des dates parfaitement compatibles avec la p\u00e9riode d\u2019activit\u00e9 du Dom Nicola que nous connaissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Roberto Regazzi, octobre 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cette trouvaille, dont Roberto Regazzi nous a aimablement transmis la photographie, permit, gr\u00e2ce aux recherches compl\u00e9mentaires de Sandro Pasqual, de relier d\u00e9finitivement le nom de Dom Nicola Amati \u00e0 celui de Marchioni – le premier \u00e9tant un surnom professionnel adopt\u00e9 par le pr\u00eatre soucieux de discr\u00e9tion, qui souhaitait vraisemblablement rendre hommage au luthier cr\u00e9monais d\u00e9j\u00e0 tr\u00e8s connu en Italie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cL\u2019\u00e9tape d\u00e9cisive est survenue lorsque j\u2019ai rencontr\u00e9 Sandro Pasqual, qui lui non plus n\u2019avait rien trouv\u00e9 en cherchant le nom Amati dans les nombreuses archives qu\u2019il avait consult\u00e9es pour sa th\u00e8se consacr\u00e9e \u00e0 la lutherie bolonaise. En lui communiquant cette piste, il a commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 d\u00e9couvrir des preuves certaines de l\u2019existence d\u2019un pr\u00eatre portant ce nom, dans la paroisse et \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque en question. Malheureusement, aucun de ces documents ne le d\u00e9signait explicitement comme luthier, si ce n\u2019est peut-\u00eatre un seul qui faisait mention d\u2019une \u201cactivit\u00e9 vertueuse\u201d non pr\u00e9cis\u00e9e. Cependant, le lien \u00e9tabli au XIXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle par Scarampella nous a paru constituer une indication suffisante pour \u00e9tablir le lien entre les deux\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Roberto Regazzi, octobre 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archivio<\/a>
Archivio Generale Arcivescovile di Bologna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019hypoth\u00e8se cr\u00e9monaise \u00e9cart\u00e9e<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Cette d\u00e9couverte fut consid\u00e9rable, puisqu\u2019elle mit fin \u00e0 l\u2019hypoth\u00e8se selon laquelle un pr\u00eatre appartenant \u00e0 la famille Amati de Cr\u00e9mone pouvait \u00eatre \u00e0 l\u2019origine des instruments sign\u00e9s Dom Nicola Amati. En effet, la famille Amati comptait bien des pr\u00eatres parmi ses membres, dont un Niccol\u00f2 Amati. C\u2019est ce dont atteste notamment un acte notari\u00e9 du 27 mai 1709, r\u00e9dig\u00e9 \u00e0 Cr\u00e9mone par le notaire Giovanni Angelo Farina, mentionnant le \u201cMolto reverendo padre Niccol\u00f2 Amati, fratello del Molto reverendo Giovanni Battista e del signor Gerolamo Amati, figlio di Niccol\u00f2 Amati<\/em>\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a>. Cependant, rien ne permet de penser qu\u2019il ait jamais exerc\u00e9 la lutherie et, depuis la d\u00e9couverte du carnet de Scarampella, le doute est d\u00e9sormais lev\u00e9, puisque celui-ci associe clairement le nom de \u201cNicolo Marchioni\u201d au nom d\u2019usage \u201cdit Amati\u201d. Scarampella avait pris soin d\u2019\u00e9crire : \u201cDom Nicola Merchioni, detto Amati – 1787\u201d. La date de 1787 \u00e9tant probl\u00e9matique – le pr\u00eatre-luthier aurait eu 125 ans – Roberto Regazzi nous explique :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cScarampella a peut-\u00eatre commis des erreurs dans son \u00e9crit, comme celle d\u2019avoir lu un 8 au lieu d\u2019un 3, puisqu\u2019il rapportait tr\u00e8s certainement les dates de documents remontant aux artisans qu\u2019il citait, probablement \u00e0 partir de leurs \u00e9tiquettes ou de certaines de leurs inscriptions ; mais il rapporte une indication tr\u00e8s importante pour notre recherche historique : il mentionne pour la premi\u00e8re fois un inconnu absolu, Merchioni, pr\u00eatre, en pr\u00e9cisant qu\u2019il \u00e9tait mieux connu sous un surnom : Amatis<\/em> [sic]. Cette piste, apr\u00e8s plus d\u2019un si\u00e8cle, s\u2019est r\u00e9v\u00e9l\u00e9e \u00e9clairante pour le retrouver sous ce nom dans la paroisse indiqu\u00e9e sur les \u00e9tiquettes de Dom Nicola Amati, \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque de la datation de ses instruments, alors qu\u2019aucun Amati, au sens de nom de famille ordinaire, n\u2019\u00e9tait pr\u00e9sent l\u00e0-bas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archivio di Stato di Cremona, Notarile, 6560, n. 27. Nous remercions Daniela Mondoni, archiviste \u00e0 l\u2019AS-CR, pour nous avoir aimablement communiqu\u00e9 cet acte notari\u00e9.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Cette d\u00e9couverte fut d\u00e9terminante, elle permit de restituer \u00e0 Dom Nicola Amati sa v\u00e9ritable identit\u00e9, celle du pr\u00eatre Nicola Marchioni, actif \u00e0 Bologne durant la premi\u00e8re moiti\u00e9 du XVIIIe si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCes preuves suffisent \u00e0 r\u00e9v\u00e9ler avec une certitude suffisante la v\u00e9ritable identit\u00e9 du luthier qui, \u00e9tant pr\u00eatre, estimait probablement plus opportun d\u2019\u00eatre connu sous un surnom plut\u00f4t que sous son vrai nom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Roberto Regazzi, octobre 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a> Entretien avec Roberto Regazzi, octobre 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archivio<\/a>
Archivio Generale Arcivescovile di Bologna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jacques-Joseph
Jacques-Joseph Lecurieux – Nicolo Amati -XIXe si\u00e8cle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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L\u2019\u0153uvre de Dom Nicola Amati<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n
Violon de Nicola MARCHIONI, dit Dom Nicola Amati, fait \u00e0 Bologne vers 1730\/1740. Instrument mis en vente par Vichy Ench\u00e8res le 4 d\u00e9cembre 2025. \u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Les instruments de Dom Nicola Amati parvenus jusqu\u2019\u00e0 nous sont rares. Entre 20 et 30 mod\u00e8les sont r\u00e9pertori\u00e9s et il s\u2019agit essentiellement de violons. La production connue du luthier s\u2019\u00e9tend essentiellement de la fin des ann\u00e9es 1710 au milieu des ann\u00e9es 1740. Le plus ancien instrument dat\u00e9 de sa main a \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9alis\u00e9 en 1718, d\u2019apr\u00e8s les \u00e9tiquettes connues, et correspond au moment o\u00f9 Marchioni semble commencer la lutherie, apr\u00e8s la mort de Giovanni Tononi en 1715. Certains pensent qu\u2019il aurait pu \u00eatre form\u00e9 par ce ma\u00eetre, ou du moins grandement influenc\u00e9 par la famille Tononi. Son travail s\u2019inscrit effectivement dans la tradition bolonaise, bien que son style reste tr\u00e8s personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOn ignore aupr\u00e8s de qui Dom Nicola Amati s\u2019est form\u00e9. Il est vraisemblablement autodidacte, ce qui peut expliquer des variations importantes d\u2019un instrument \u00e0 l’autre. En revanche, il y a tout de m\u00eame une certaine constance dans son \u0153uvre qui permet de reconna\u00eetre assez rapidement son travail. Il est tr\u00e8s inscrit dans la tradition bolonaise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Jonathan Marolle, Vatelot-Rampal, Paris Luthier, sp\u00e9cialiste des instruments du quatuor \u00e0 cordes. Expert pr\u00e8s la Cour d\u2019Appel de Paris, novembre 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ses instruments sont conserv\u00e9s dans des collections priv\u00e9es et il est tr\u00e8s rare de pouvoir les observer. La mise au jour de ce nouveau violon nous offre donc une chance exceptionnelle de voir et d\u2019\u00e9tudier l\u2019un de ses instruments. Dat\u00e9 des ann\u00e9es 1730-1740, il nous offre un bel exemple du savoir-faire du luthier :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cL\u2019\u00e9cole de Bologne se caract\u00e9rise par un mod\u00e8le assez particulier, avec des d\u00e9tails que l\u2019on retrouve d\u2019un auteur \u00e0 l\u2019autre. Par exemple, le montage int\u00e9rieur est tr\u00e8s sp\u00e9cifique, avec de grosses contre-\u00e9clisses – un trait que l\u2019on observe aussi chez les Tononi. Le travail des coins du filet, assez marqu\u00e9, des vo\u00fbtes, est caract\u00e9ristique chez Dom Nicola Amati. Le fini de la t\u00eate, avec une virgule peu pouss\u00e9e, ainsi qu\u2019un vernis jaune ambr\u00e9 – parfois brun assez fonc\u00e9 – sont \u00e9galement des \u00e9l\u00e9ments que l\u2019on retrouve r\u00e9guli\u00e8rement chez cet auteur.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entretien avec Jonathan Marolle, Vatelot-Rampal, Paris Luthier, sp\u00e9cialiste des instruments du quatuor \u00e0 cordes. Expert pr\u00e8s la Cour d\u2019Appel de Paris, novembre 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Provenances illustres<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Henri<\/a>
Henri Temianka, 1987.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Yehudi<\/a>
Yehudi Menuhin, 1976.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Plusieurs instruments de Dom Nicola Amati ont des provenances particuli\u00e8rement prestigieuses, r\u00e9v\u00e9lant la place singuli\u00e8re que ce luthier occupe dans l\u2019histoire de la facture instrumentale. Un violon dat\u00e9 de 1730 appartint notamment au c\u00e9l\u00e8bre violoniste Yehudi Menuhin, qui l\u2019utilisa parall\u00e8lement \u00e0 ses instruments de Stradivari et de Guarneri. Ce choix, chez un musicien d\u2019un tel rang, atteste la qualit\u00e9 sonore et la p\u00e9rennit\u00e9 des instruments de Dom Nicola Amati, rivalisant ici avec ceux des plus grands ma\u00eetres cr\u00e9monais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un autre violon, orn\u00e9 sur le fond des armoiries du comte palatin Esterh\u00e1zy – l\u2019un des m\u00e9c\u00e8nes majeurs du XVIIIe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle – passa au milieu du XXe<\/sup> si\u00e8cle entre les mains du violoniste Henri Temianka, qui en fit usage dans sa carri\u00e8re de concertiste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ces exemples, parmi les mieux document\u00e9s, laissent supposer que Dom Nicola Amati jouissait d\u00e9j\u00e0, de son vivant, d\u2019une certaine reconnaissance aupr\u00e8s des musiciens. La pr\u00e9sence de ses instruments dans des collections et des mains aussi illustres au fil des si\u00e8cles t\u00e9moigne de la permanence de cette estime et de la notori\u00e9t\u00e9 que son \u0153uvre a su conserver jusqu\u2019\u00e0 nos jours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Palais
Palais d’Eisenstadt du Comte Estherhazy, Burgenland, Autriche.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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La mise en vente de ce violon de Dom Nicola Amati le 4 d\u00e9cembre 2025 \u00e0 Vichy Ench\u00e8res vient rappeler l\u2019importance de Nicola Marchioni dans l\u2019histoire de la lutherie bolognaise. Ce nouvel instrument enrichit le corpus restreint de ses \u0153uvres connues et offre un t\u00e9moignage pr\u00e9cieux sur la production bolonaise au XVIIIe si\u00e8cle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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NICOLA MARCHIONI, KNOWN AS DOM NICOLAUS AMATI: A VIOLIN MAKING PRIEST IN 18TH<\/sup>-CENTURY BOLOGNA<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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A violin by Dom Nicolaus Amati will be auctioned during the Vichy Ench\u00e8res sale of fine string instruments on 4 December 2025. This new instrument, made in Bologna circa 1730-1740, brings to the fore this enigmatic figure in violin making, who was mistakenly associated with the famous Amati family of Cremona for a long time. Thanks to research conducted by Sandro Pasqual and Roberto Regazzi, we now know that the person behind this name is the Bolognese priest Nicola Marchioni. The coming to light of this rare instrument provides an opportunity to rediscover this enigmatic maker.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank Roberto Regazzi for his contributions to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Catalog<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 1 December 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 2 December 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 3 December 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sale of 4 December 2025<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Experts<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The life of Nicola Marchioni<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Lizzano,<\/a>
Lizzano,province of Bologna, Pianaccio – 1964.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nicola Marchioni was born in 1662 in Castelnuovo di Lizzano, in the Bolognese Apennines. He was the son of Giovanni Antonio and his mother was named Maria. He showed a vocation for priesthood from a very young age. As a result, in 1687, his father provided him with a dowry \u2013 a flat and several plots of land \u2013 enabling him to enter the priesthood without having to rely financially on the Church.[1]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


He was ordained a priest at the age of 25, and from that point was referred to as Dom<\/em> Nicola Marchioni, a title given to priests in Italy, derived from the Latin dominus<\/em>. Around 1715, he settled permanently in Bologna, in the parish of Saints Cosmas and Damian. It is not known when and how he learned violin making, but Bologna was then an important centre for violin making, and many craftsmen received religious training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His brother Sebastiano, who was married and had children, also lived in Bologna. The historical documents brought to light by Sandro Pasqual and Roberto Regazzi suggest that the two brothers likely worked together in a handcraft. In February 1732, a legal document includes both their names in connection with a loan requested by Dom Nicolaus Amati’s sister-in-law. The priest, who was the beneficiary of this loan, repaid the capital and interest “with the income from his virtuous industry.”[2]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This expression, “virtuosa sua industria” in Italian, is rarely found in ecclesiastical documents and is most likely referencing a craft practiced by the priest. This document provides evidence that Nicola Marchioni earned an income from a handcraft, which he pursued alongside his ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a priest, Dom Nicola held several positions in neighbouring parishes, such as S. Andrea degli Ansaldi<\/em> and S. Maria de\u2019 Foscherari<\/em>, but he resided primarily in the parish of SS. Cosma e Damiano<\/em> from 1715 to 1730, and again from 1744 to 1748, according to the registers of Bologna. Interestingly, these periods coincide with the dates inscribed on the labels of most of his instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, we should mention that the surname Marchioni appears in various forms in contemporary documents, sometimes spelled \u201cMerchioni\u201d or \u201cMelchioni.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[1]<\/sup><\/a> Deed of transfer from 1687 discovered by Sandro Pasqual. This biographical information comes from Pasqual S., Regazzi R., Le radici del successo della liuteria a Bologna<\/em>, Firenze, Florenus Edizioni, 1998<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a> Notarial deed of 1732, archives of the Archdiocese of Bologna, discovered by Sandro Pasqual<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Lizzano,<\/a>
Lizzano, Appenin bolonnais.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Bologne,<\/a>
Bologne, Piazza Nettuno.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Aureliano<\/a>
Aureliano Milani, La Mission, oil on wood, 18th<\/sup> century, M. Pradelli collection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A dual vocation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Carnet<\/a><\/figure>\n
Carnet de Scarampella, conserv\u00e9 \u00e0 Mantoue. Photo de Roberto Regazzi.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The case of Nicola Marchioni, who had two occupations, is not unique. As Jonathan Marolle indicates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMany violin makers held down additional jobs to make a decent living. For example, we know that Pietro Guarnerius of Mantua was a violinist at the court of the Duke of Mantua. He received an annual salary as a musician and was also granted the right to practice violin making. In Venice, Francesco Gobetti, a wonderful violin maker, began his career as a shoemaker.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As he indicated to us in conversations, Roberto Regazzi researched what led to the discovery of the true identity of the priest hidden under the name Dom Nicolaus Amati:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn the 1990s, I stumbled upon a manuscript preserved in Mantua: a notebook of sorts belonging to Stefano Scarampella, dated 1863, in which he listed, at one point, the most representative violin makers, classified by city. Under the heading \u201cBologna\u201d, one name struck me: Dom Nicola Marchioni, known as Amati, with dates perfectly consistent with the period of activity of the Dom Nicola we knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Roberto Regazzi, October 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This manuscript page, a photograph of which Roberto Regazzi kindly provided, allowed us, thanks to further research by Sandro Pasqual, to definitively link the name of Dom Nicolaus Amati to that of Marchioni. The priest, wanting to conceal his true identity, adopted the surname Amati as a professional name, and in doing so, likely wished to pay homage to the Cremonese maker of the same name, who was already well-known in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe decisive moment came when I met Sandro Pasqual, who struggled to find any information under the name Amati in the various historical archives he had consulted for his thesis on the Bolognese school. After I shared this lead with him, he began to uncover evidence of the existence of a priest bearing that name, in the corresponding parish and period. Unfortunately, none of these documents made reference to his violin making activity, except perhaps the one that mentioned an unspecified \u201cvirtuous activity\u201d. However, the connection established in the 19th<\/sup> century by Scarampella seemed to us to constitute sufficient evidence to link the two names.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Roberto Regazzi, October 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archivio<\/a>
Archivio Generale Arcivescovile di Bologna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Cremonese theory dismissed<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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This discovery was significant, as it put an end to the theory that a priest belonging to the Amati family of Cremona could have been the maker behind the instruments labelled Dom Nicola Amati. Indeed, the Amati family did include priests among its members, including a Niccol\u00f2 Amati. This is evidenced in particular by a legal document dated 27 May 1709, drawn up in Cremona by the lawyer Giovanni Angelo Farina, which makes reference to the \u201cMolto reverendo padre Niccol\u00f2 Amati, fratello del Molto reverendo Giovanni Battista e del signor Gerolamo Amati, figlio di Niccol\u00f2 Amati<\/em>\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a>. However, there is no evidence to suggest that he ever practiced instrument making, and the discovery of Scarampella\u2019s notebook ended the speculation, as it clearly links the name \u201cNicolo Marchioni\u201d to the \u201cknown as Amati\u201d name commonly used. Scarampella took care to write: \u201cDom Nicola Merchioni, detto Amati \u2013 1787\u201d. The date of 1787 is a problem though: the violin making priest would have been 125 years old. Roberto Regazzi clarifies this inconsistency:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cScarampella may have made errors when writing in his notebook, such as reading an 8 instead of a 3, since he was most certainly copying the dates from documents written by the corresponding makers, probably their labels or some of their inscriptions. However, he provides a very important piece of information for our historical research: he mentions for the first time a complete unknown, Merchioni, a priest, specifying that he was better known by another name: Amatis<\/em> [sic]. This information, more than a century later, proved invaluable in tracing the maker back to the parish indicated on Dom Nicolaus Amati’s labels, at a time consistent with the dates on these labels; meanwhile, there were no members of the Amati family ever present there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archivio di Stato di Cremona, Notarile, 6560, n. 27. We would like to thank Daniela Mondoni, archivist at AS-CR, for kindly providing us with this notarised document.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This discovery was crucial as it allowed us to discover the true identity of Dom Nicolaus Amati: the priest Nicola Marchioni, active in Bologna during the first half of the 18th <\/sup>century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThis evidence constitutes sufficient proof of the true identity of the maker who, being a priest, probably considered it more appropriate to be known by a professional name rather than his real name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Roberto Regazzi, October 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

[1] Interview with Roberto Regazzi, October 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archivio<\/a>
Archivio Generale Arcivescovile di Bologna.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Jacques-Joseph
Jacques-Joseph Lecurieux – Nicolo Amati -19th <\/sup>century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The work of Dom Nicolaus Amati<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Violon<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Violin by Nicola MARCHIONI, known as Dom Nicola Amati, made in Bologna around 1730\/1740.
Instrument offered for sale by Vichy Auctions on 4 December 2025.
\u00a9 Vichy Ench\u00e8res\/C. Darbelet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The instruments by Dom Nicolaus Amati that have survived to this day are rare. Between 20 and 30 examples are known, and they are primarily violins. The maker’s known output spans mainly from the late-1710s to the mid-1740s. The earliest known instrument by him was made in 1718, according to the dates found on his labels, and corresponds to the period when Marchioni seems to have begun making violins, after the death of Giovanni Tononi in 1715. Some believe that he may have been trained by this master, or at least greatly influenced by the Tononi family. His work is indeed part of the Bolognese tradition, although his style is very personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We do not know who trained Dom Nicolaus Amati. He was likely self-taught, which may explain the significant variations from one instrument to another. However, there is a certain consistency in his output that allows his work to be easily attributed. He worked very much in the Bolognese tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Jonathan Marolle, Vatelot-Rampal, Paris Luthier, specialist in string quartet instruments. Expert at the Paris Court of Appeal, November 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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His instruments are kept in private collections, and it is very rare that they come to light. The discovery of this new violin therefore presents an exceptional opportunity to see and study one of his instruments. It is a fine example of the maker\u2019s craftsmanship, dating from the 1730s-1740s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The Bolognese school is characterized by a rather particular style, with distinctive features found across different makers of that school. For instance, the internal construction is very characteristic, with thick linings \u2013 a feature also found with the Tononi family. The purfling work at the corners, which is quite pronounced, and the arching are typical of Dom Nicolaus Amati. The shaping of the head, with a subtle comma shape, as well as the amber-yellow \u2013 sometimes dark brown \u2013 varnish are also elements typical of this maker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview with Jonathan Marolle, Vatelot-Rampal, Paris Luthier, specialist in string quartet instruments. Expert at the Paris Court of Appeal, November 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Prestigious owners<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"Henri<\/a>
Henri Temianka, 1987.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Yehudi<\/a>
Yehudi Menuhin, 1976.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A number of instruments by Dom Nicolaus Amati have had particularly prestigious owners, confirming the unique position this maker occupies in the history of instrument making. In particular, a violin dated 1730 belonged to the renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who used it alongside his Stradivarius and Guarnerius. This choice, by a musician of such prestige, attests to the exceptional sound and enduring qualities of Dom Nicola Amati’s instruments, which rival those of the greatest Cremonese masters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another violin, adorned with the coat of arms of Count Palatine Esterh\u00e1zy \u2013 one of the preeminent patrons of the 18th<\/sup> century \u2013 ended up in the possession of violinist Henri Temianka in the mid-20th<\/sup> century, who used it throughout his soloist career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These well documented examples suggest that Dom Nicolaus Amati already enjoyed a certain level of success amongst musicians during his lifetime. The presence of his instruments in such illustrious collections and hands throughout the centuries attests to the renown of this maker and the enduring esteem in which his work has been held to this day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Eisenstadt Palace of Count Estherhazy, Burgenland, Austria.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The auction of this Dom Nicolaus Amati violin on 4 December 2025 at Vichy Ench\u00e8res is a reminder of the importance of Nicola Marchioni in the history of Bolognese violin making. This new violin joins the select list of instruments known by this maker, and provides invaluable insight into Bolognese violin making in the 18th<\/sup> century.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\ude80 Suivez-nous !<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n