Born near Fano in 1827, Raffaele Ronchini is documented as a very active musician in the panorama of Umbria and Marche of his time; his profession was continued with success by some of his sons, who came to hold prestigious positions in orchestras in Italy and abroad. At the same time Raffaele was busy managing a rather active violin workshop where, in addition to making instruments, he also made bows and was involved in repairs, strings, etc. His dealing activity also brought him into contact with the Bolognese luthier Raffaele Fiorini.
His style is simple and spontaneous; like many instruments from the Marche, his violins are based on a small model, and it is interesting to note that Ronchini used occasionally the Guarneri del Gesù model, which at that time was not yet very popular. The choice of material and the type of varnish can sometimes make his instruments appear older than their real age.
