Autograph letter Paolo Stradivari

Paolo Stradivari (1708-1775)

After the death of his brothers Francesco and Omobono, Paolo - the youngest son of Antonio Stradivari - came into possession of a considerable patrimony consisting of the instruments made by his father and his brothers.
The last heir of the great violin maker had trade relations both with Giovanni Battista Guadagnini and Count Cozio’s agents.
A relevant number of letters, donated by Fiorini in 1930 and currently conserved in Cremona’s State Library, document the commercial relations between Antonio’s last heir and the Count’s intermediaries
After he had sold many instruments, in May 1775 Paolo offered Cozio what was left from the historic workshop. Negotiations ended two years later in December: it was his son Antonio who, after the death of his father, took charge of the shipment of the “Stradivarian artefacts”.
(Cozio Fund - Biblioteca statale di Cremona)