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

ACS Webinars

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.

What You Will Learn

  • The life of Antonio Stradivari and the diverse construction of his San Lorenzo 1718 and Toscano 1690 violins
  • What is infrared scattering-type scanning near field optical microscopy (IR s-SNOM) and what it tells us about Stradivari violins
  • Cultural Heritage analytics at the nanoscale

Co-Producer

What an attendee said about this ACS Webinar!

Extraordinarily interesting and multidisciplinary. Very engaging and valuable information.

Meet the Experts

Chiaramaria Stani
CERIC-ERIC Scientist, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste

Giacomo Fiocco
Postdoctoral Researcher, Arvedi Laboratory of Non-Invasive Diagnostics,  University of Pavia

 Jonathan Sweedler
Editor-in-Chief of Analytical Chemistry and James R. Eiszner Family Endowed Chair and Professor in Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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