Reference Library Makers

B. ca 1620, d. 1698, Cremona

Often cited as a pupil of Amati, there is no documentary evidence to support this, and it is now thought that Francesco and his family worked independently in a separate parish, but making instruments almost identical to those of Amati, and sometimes mis-labelled as such.
Certain features of construction are more similar to those of Stradivari, who may have been associated with the family, than Amati. His labels, most common after 1670, bear the phrase 'detto (known as) il Per', a familiar name possibly given to distinguish him from Giovanni Battista Rogeri, since the two similar family names are given many variant and exchangeable spellings in contemporary records.Despite his reputation as a mere follower or imitator of Nicolo Amati, he made important innovations in the evolution of the cello, being amongst the first in Cremona to make the instrument on a more manageable, compact scale.