Giovita Rodiani (Rudiani)

History

Giovita RODIANI (RUDIANI) (circa 1541-1544 – 1625) was an Italian violin maker. According to John Dilworth, he was born circa 1541-1544 and died in 1625 in Brescia, Italy. He was active in Piedmont in 1563 and Bologna in 1572. From 1619, he established himself in the Contrada della Tresanda di Santo Rocca, Brescia, and in that year, he referred to himself in archival documents as 'fabricator a violinis'. He was recorded as 'Ser Jovita Rodiani che fa violini in Brescia' in 1620. Karel Jalovec states he was born about 1545 and died after 1624, working in Brescia and Bologna. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes that the master's name appears in literature with incredible distortions; Fétis, for example, called him Javietta (also Juvento) Budiani and Vidal Francesco B. Lütgendorff credits Valdrighi with correcting these names. Sources contain conflicting information about his death date, with Lütgendorff considering it highly improbable that he lived until around 1650.

Craft

• Style: He worked on the pattern of Gasparo da Salò, whose helpmate he had been for a long time. His creations of later years are in the style of Maggini.
• Varnish: He applied an amber-yellow varnish, which Willibald Leo Lütgendorff describes as a yellow amber lacquer.
• Historical Value: His instruments are considered historically valuable, provided they are not too much damaged by age.
• Known Examples: Valdrighi claimed to own one of his violins, but according to John Dilworth, no examples are presently known.

Influence

• Mentorship: Giovita Rodiani was a helpmate to Gasparo da Salò for a long time, working on his pattern.

Legacy

• Rarity: Despite Valdrighi's claim of owning one of his violins, John Dilworth notes that no examples are presently known.

Further Information

• Workshop Location: From 1619, he was established in the Contrada della Tresanda di Santo Rocca, Brescia.
• Estimated Value: Karel Jalovec estimated the price of his instruments at about 20,000 Kc.