Due to historical and stylistic proximity, Francesco Rugeri was traditionally considered a pupil of Nicolò Amati. However, it is more likely that he was simply inspired by the work of the other and more famous family of Cremonese luthiers, with whom he was in close contact without completely mastering all techniques in use in their workshop. Born in 1620, Francesco, also known as "il Per", was therefore the first maker in his family; of the four sons that followed his footsteps, Giacinto, Giovanni Battista, Carlo and Vincenzo, only the latter had a significative independent production. The Rugeri family also seems to have played a central role in the training of Antonio Stradivari and Carlo Bergonzi.
Francesco Rugeri's violins faithfully follow Nicolò Amati's style, being preferably built on a model similar to the Grand Pattern and their quality is very close to the perfection of the Cremonese master. The differences are mainly in the scroll design, with a very tight second round and some construction details, such as the white strip of the purfling made of maple and the absence of a "dorsal pin".
