The "Cannone" at the PGF - Amici di Paganini
Amici di  Paganini

The “Cannone” at the PGF

The City of Genoa guards the “Cannone,” the violin constructed in Cremona in 1743 by Giuseppe Bartolomeo Guarneri, known as “del Gesù.” The Genoese Maestro played this extraordinary instrument from 1801 until his death.

In his will drafted in 1837, Paganini decided to leave the instrument to the city of Genoa, where he was born and to which he remained emotionally attached: “I bequeath my violin to the city of Genoa, so that it may be perpetually preserved.” Since then, the violin, still in astonishingly good condition, has been cared for by a conservator luthier who monitors its condition and ensures it is maintained in the best possible state.

According to testimonies from the violinists who have had the privilege of playing it (the winners of the Paganini Prize are allowed to play it in public once), the Cannone is the instrument with the most extraordinary sound quality, for its volume of sound—the name “Cannone” was given by Paganini for this reason—and for its richness of tonal nuances, although it demands great effort from the performer.

The Cannone can be visited in the Paganini Rooms of Palazzo Tursi, the seat of the Municipal Administration of Genoa; during the Festival, in particular, there will be repeated guided tours of the Cannone, other memorabilia, and the multimedia stations.