* The school of Brescia, the oldest, reported by many contemporary documents; it was formed from 1530 to 1630 by almost 20 "magister" of string instruments
* The Amati family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Amati (1500-1577), Antonio Amati (1540-1607), Hieronymus Amati I (1561-1630), Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), Hieronymus Amati II (1649-1740)
* The Guarneri family of Italian violin makers, Andrea Guarneri (1626-1698), Pietro of Mantua (1655-1720), Giuseppe Guarneri (Joseph filius Andreae) (1666-1739), Pietro Guarneri (of Venice) (1695-1762), and Giuseppe (del Gesu) (1698-1744)
* The Stradivari family (1644-1737) of Cremona
* The Gagliano family of Italian violin makers, Alexander, Nicolo I and Ferdinand are outstanding of these
* Giovanni Battista Guadagnini of Piacenza (1711-1786)
* Jacob Stainer (1617-1683) of Absam in Tyrol.
