Born in Turin in 1676, Francesco Celoniato still remains a maker whose training is shrouded in mystery. Traditionally it was believed that he might have been a pupil of Goffredo Cappa, an unlikely possibility given that the latter was permanently in Saluzzo and also because the style of the two luthiers has no obvious similarities, except for the rather tilted positioning of the F-holes.
Celoniato's work is elegant and follows a Cremonese-inspired model, with fine and slender corners; the fluting of the plates is brought rather towards the outside. The scroll has a very slender peg-box with a wide open throat; the volute is carved with great accuracy and, despite being wide, ends in a small eye.
