Sesto Rocchi

Born in San Paolo d’Enza in the Emilia-Romagna in 1909, Sesto initially trained as a violinist, but later studied at the Parma School of Violin Making under Gaetano Sgarabotto. He then went to Milan to work with Sgarabotto’s teacher Leandro Bisiach and also worked in Berlin for Michael Strobl before establishing his own shop in San Paolo d’Enza. National service in 1939 interrupted his work and he was only able to continue in business effectively after 1948. He died in 1991. His chief pattern was that of Stradivari, on which he made various variations, and he made at least one quartet modelled on the ‘Medici’ set in Florence. His work is fine and well-disciplined and wears a good clear orange varnish typical of many Italian makers of the period.