An all-day event to celebrate the centenary of Paolo Soprani (1845-1918), widely regarded as the founder of accordion manufacturing in Italy, takes place at the Auditorium San Francesco, Castelfidardo (AN), on Tuesday February 20th, from 9am until 10.30pm.
The program includes a talk by Beniamino Bugiolacchi, an exhibition, and a concert featuring accordionists Luigi Presta and Manuel Marchegiani.
Paolo Soprani began making accordions in 1863, which grew into a large business and inspired others to do likewise, beginning a system and tradition of accordion manufacturing in Castelfidardo that continues to the present day.
According to legend, in 1863 an Austrian pilgrim returning home from the Catholic religious shrine at Loreto asked for hospitality for the night at the farmhouse owned by Antonio and Lucia Soprani near Castelfidardo. As a thank you the pilgrim gave the Sopranis an accordion, which was of great interest to their son Paolo.
The next day Paolo dissembled the accordion to see how it worked, and immediately thought that he could build similar instruments. Paolo, who worked on the family farm, opened a workshop in his home. In 1872, with his sons Luigi and Achille, he opened a factory for his expanding business in the centre of Castelfidardo.
Apart from making accordions, Paolo Soprani was also a skilled and popular player, and became a well-known personality, often seen at fairs and markets of local towns, playing and selling his instruments.
The accordion industry was born in Castelfidardo with the establishment of the Paolo Soprani factory, with other businesses setting up in competition as demand for the accordion steadily increased, including one set up by his brother Settimio Soprani. Paolo Soprani’s accordions were exported to France, then further afield, and by the end of the 19th Century had reached America.
In 1900 the company had a big success in a fair in Paris; Paolo became a member of the academy of inventors of Bruxelles and Paris and met the President of France. He continued to work in his factory until he was 70 years old, when his two sons took over. He died in his house on February 20th 1918, when he was 73 years old.
For further information email Beniamino Bugiolacchi at: info@italcinte.it
