Paolo Soprani Piano Accordion [SOLD]

Paolo Soprani Piano Accordion

This is a wonderful accordion, fantastic to play and produces a beautiful tone. 

The story of Paolo Soprani and the accordion as we know it today, all began in 1863 in a farmhouse just outside of Castelfidardo, a medieval town located in central Italy.

After being caught in a heavy storm one evening, an Austrian pilgrim sought shelter in a nearby farmhouse. This was home to Antonio and Lucia Soprani and their children, who welcomed the pilgrim in. Whilst resting in front of the fire, the traveller produced a strange musical box, which he played for the duration of the evening.

One of Antonio and Lucia’s oldest sons, Paolo, was extremely interested in this musical box, which was in fact a homemade copy of an instrument named the “Accordeon”. This had been designed and patented several decades earlier in 1829 by Mr Demian of Vienna.

There are many theories as to how Paolo obtained the secrets of this box. Some say that he awoke during the night and studied the instrument intently, producing detailed diagrams of its internal workings. Others say that the traveller gave the box to Paolo as a token of his gratitude for the Soprani family’s hospitality. Either way, it was Paolo’s fascination with this instrument that led to the birth of the accordion industry.

In 1864, with the help of his brothers, Paolo set up a small workshop within the family farmhouse. He began to produce a small number of prototype instruments, loosely based on the musical box that had captivated him several years ago.

A few years later, after he perfected the design and became a highly proficient player, Paolo moved to a larger workshop where he employed his first workers. Here, he began producing the instrument on a larger, more commercial scale. This early version of the accordion was given the name “Armoniche”, and was sold at fairs and markets in nearby towns.

In 1872 Paolo moved to new premises in the center of Castelfidardo, where he opened a large factory in the Piazza Garibaldi. The accordions being produced were hugely successful within the local area, and production was quickly expanded to cover the whole of Italy, as well as other European countries such as France and Germany.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Paolo Soprani factory began exporting their products further afield, with a large percentage of the instruments being sent to the USA.

In order to cope with the huge number of orders from these new markets, Paolo, along with his sons Luigi and Achille, expanded once again, moving production to an even larger factory in Castelfidardo. The factory now employed over 600 workers, and produced over 1,200 accordions a month.

In 1900, the President of France honoured Paolo Soprani for his work by making him a member of the prestigious Academy of Inventors.

Paolo continued to be actively involved in the day to day running of the accordion factory until his 70th birthday, when the reigns were handed over to his two sons. During this period, Paolo was knighted by the Italian crown, and was also elected as mayor of Castelfidardo, a position that he held for many years. Paolo passed away in 1918 at the age of 73.

Over the next few decades, the Paolo Soprani company continued to expand under the leadership of several generations of the Soprani family. Today, the company exports accordions worldwide, and is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious accordion manufacturers.

Every Paolo Soprani accordion is still handcrafted in Castelfidardo using the same traditional methods that have been passed down from previous generations, whilst also embracing the latest technology and manufacturing techniques.

If you're looking to buy an accordion, you've come to the right place as we have a large variety to choose from. Feel free to come into our store located in Baldoyle, Dublin 13 - we'd be happy to help!  

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USA & CANADA (5 - 7 days)

EUROPE (3 - 4 days)

UK (2 days)

IRELAND (Next Day)

THE REST OF THE WORLD (5 - 7 days)