Particularity

Andrea Postacchini (Fermo 1781 - 1862)

– we await news from the world about the luthier from Fermo –

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Tronto Journal

N. 18. - 3rd year - Fermo July 22nd, 1815

Note: Periodical published in Fermo, on a weekly basis, from March 7th, 1813 to July 22nd,1815; therefore this issue is the last one in the history of the newspaper. The image on the left reproduces the upper part of the first sheet of the Official Bulletin of the Department of Tronto (the Tronto is the river that marks the border between the present-day regions of Marche and Abruzzo), which existed from 1808 to 1815; the image below shows the lower part of the third sheet where the date and the original advertisement relating to the luthier Andrea Postacchini are highlighted.

THANKS to BILIOTECA DI FERMO
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Fermo July 20th

Mr. Andrea Postacchini from Fermo, a talented manufacturer of string instruments, having had recognized, after ten years of concrete and constant experiences, the level of excellence, the highest aspiration achievable in the difficult art of lutherie, stimulated by the admirers of his valuable works and by his friends, has decided to offer his services to a wider audience. Therefore anyone, even outside these Provinces, wishing to acquire Violins, Violas, Cellos, Double Basses, Guitars, Mandolins, etc. will only have to contact by letter the aforementioned Artist and order him the quality of the voice he desires in the Instrument, certain of being served with precision and solicitude.

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Portrait of 1830

Oil on canvas (71 x 54 cm.) kept in the Municipal Art Gallery of Fermo, mentioned on pages 286/287 of the catalog “by Francesca Coltrinari and Patrizia Dragoni - Municipal Art Gallery of Fermo Paintings, tapestries, sculptures - Silvana Editoriale” printed in 2012 with the participation of Cassa di Risparmio di Fermo Foundation. The famous luthier Andrea Postacchini from Fermo is portrayed head-on with a violin in his hand and with the tools of the trade resting on the opposite table; according to an inscription on the back, the author of the portrait would be Sister Giovanna Ricci, a descendant of the well-known family of painters from Fermo originated in the seventeenth century with Ubaldo and continued with Filippo, Natale and Alessandro. The painting, as mentioned in the 1987 Inventory, is a gift to his City of Professor Gino Del Zozzo (1909 - 1989), well-known artist from Fermo.

THANKS to PINACOTECA COMUNALE DI FERMO
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Diploma and Bronze MedaL

September 1869

The Diploma and the Bronze Medal (property of the Antiqua Marca Firmana Cultural Centre) have been assigned to "Andrea Postacchini and Sons" by the Competence Commission, appointed by the Sorter Commission, of the Agricultural Industrial and Artistic Provincial Exhibition held in Fermo in September 1869 with 486 exhibitors. The sons of Andrea Postacchini participated in the Class VIII. Industry and Special Manufactures, Art. III. (precision works, watches, geometric tools and of the metric system, musical instruments) with two violins of the lute-maker died in 1862, "worked in imitation of those of Antonius Stradiverius", as mentioned in the catalogue of the Exhibition, still preserved in the Civic Library "Romolo Spezioli" of Fermo.

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THANKS to BIBLIOTECA DI FERMO
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Precious Objects

from left to right: Purse embroidered by one of the sisters of the luthier Andrea Postacchini and miniature instruments (guitar and mandolin attributable to the artistic creativity of the luthier from Fermo) in ivory, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell

(Donation from private collection to Fermo Civic Library, which we would like to thank for allowing to publish the image)

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May 1997

Brief notes on life and work of Andrea Postacchini by Claudio Giovalé with the participation of the Cassa di Risparmio di Fermo Foundation

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Note from the Cultural Center: despite the present impossibility of verify the reliability of the document exposed here (Recipe Postacchini Paint), we are pleased to propose it to stimulate further information that may confirm or not what was given us as a gift by Master luthier Fabio Chiari.

Mr. Fabio Chiari luthier
via Cafiero n. 20
50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI)

30th May 2016

Dear ANTIQUA MARCA FIRMANA Cultural Centre
Regarding the recipe of “Postacchini” paint that I had the pleasure of donating to your Cultural Center during the 23rd edition of the Postacchini Prize, I would like to add other details regarding its discovery. The sheet in question was tied with a metal clip to a letter in headed paper "Giacomo and Leandro Bisiach luthiers Milan" found in 1998 among the materials belonged to the great Tuscan luthier Igino Sderci and of which we came into possession with the acquisition of the whole laboratory of the luthier Mino da Fiesole last pupil of Igino Sderci. The letter, dated January 2, 1936 - XIV, begins like this: Dear Igino, as we promised you in our postcard I am sending you some notes that we adopt for the painting of the instruments... The original letter includes two 22x28 sheets and is written entirely by hand, the handwriting is the same as that of the page with the formula now in your possession. Unfortunately I can not let you have the complete correspondence since it also contains other information that can not be made public; hoping that you will appreciate what I have done and renewing my willingness to collaborate with you at every level for the enhancement and relaunch of lutherie in central Italy, best regards,
Fabio Chiari