Shining a Nanofocused Light on the Hidden Secrets of Stradivari’s Violins

• Dr. Chiaramaria Stani, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and Dr. Giacomo Fiocco, University of Pavia
• Sponsored by ACS Webinars and ACS Analytical Chemistry Division
• 11am-Noon, Online via Zoom, Free, Registration required

No one can deny the extraordinary aesthetic and acoustic features of Stradivari’s violins. While their worldwide reputation for quality goes unquestioned, a consensus is unclear on the mysterious materials used in the protein-based ground coating directly spread on the wood surface, which has preserved these masterpieces over the ages.

Join Dr. Chiaramaria Stani, CERIC-ERIC scientist at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, and Dr. Giacomo Fiocco of the Arvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics at the University of Pavia as they discuss the life of Antonio Stradivari with a focus on the unique construction process of his bowed string instruments, specifically for the San Lorenzo 1718 and Toscano 1690 violins. Register now to discover more about the novel scientific advances achieved regarding the mystery behind the treatment of the violin’s wood coating as well as a short review of the literature and introduction of the IR s-SNOM nano-vibrational approach that has maximized a new level of attainable chemical details and revealed minute protein residues never before seen.