Although many people are inclined to think that the accordion originated in Austria, it first saw light many years before in some other country but, nevertheless, we are still somewhat in the dark as to its real source even though Stradella and Castelfidardo made the first real accordions.  So, really, Italy can be said to be the home of the accordion.

For more than a hundred years artist-craftsmen have worked to achieve the perfection of the modern Accordion.  Those first young pioneers came from the ranks of carpenters, blacksmiths and even farmers; in fact, from all trades and walks of life.  From them came the accordion traditions which have been handed down from Father to Son.  These sons in turn, denoted their lives to the instrument, emigrating to different parts of Italy and, later, across the World, especially to the New World- to America.

Even today, certain names in the Italian accordion manufacturing world have been handed down to the third generation such as Dallape, Anelli, Soprani, Scandalli, Massoni, Maga and many others.  Some of these factories are run by two or three brothers including those belonging to Frontallini, Crosio, Galanti, Scandalli, Borsini, Busilachio, Bocci, etc..

To supply the world demand for instruments, new factories have sprung up next to the original ones so that today hundreds of thousands of experienced workers are employed - and this does not include all those small home workshops where every member of the family helps to make certain small parts.

There are factories in Stradella, Castelfidardo, Numana, Camerano, Osimo, Ancona, Mondaino, Pessaro, Recanati, Macerata, Potenza, Piceno, Fano, Valla Lomellina, Giaveno, Vercelli, Cremona, Parma, Mondovi, and many other places.

Let us visit some of these centers and see whose factories are to be found.

First, to Castelfidardo (Ancona) where we see Paolo Soprani, Settimo Soprani, Scandalli, Sante Crucianelli, Borsini, Ballone Burini, Ubaldo Bontempi, Francesco Serenelli, Saverio Soprani, Enfonica, Marino Pigini, Primo Carbonari, Marino Guerrini, lnvicta, Pasquale Ficosecco, Umberto Magi, Victoria, Giuseppe Moreschi, Accoroni, Elettra L'Artigiana, etc..

In Stradella (Pavia) we find Mariano Dallape, Fratelli Crosio, co-Operative Armonica, Felice Bianchi, Renato Massoni, Guido Tizzoni, Salas, Ereole Maga, La Stradellina, FIAS, Luchini Giustini, Voce D'Or, Paolo Rogledi, L'Aurora, M.Losio etc..

At Numana (Ancona) there are Nazareno, Frontallini, Maggi, daily di Monaco, Petrolinni, La Diamante, etc..

In Osimo (Ancona) are Busilachio, Aborfeo, Cagnoni, La Voce di Castelfidardo, Antonelli, Nota O'Dr, Ottavianelli, CIFD, Pesaresi, ltalfisa, etc..

In Pesaro co-Operativa, La Nuova Stella, G. Fontanella, Mancini, Sirena, etc..

In Mondolfo (Pesaro) are Aldo Silverstrini, Paolo Sora, Corinaldes, etc..

In Recanti (Macerata) we see Virgilio Soprani, Cingolani, Guidobaldi, Castelfisa, Chiusaroli, Marinucci, Siluio Soprani, Beccaresci, etc..

In Macerata are Cesare Pancotti, Fratelli Gentlli, La ritmica, etc..

In Ancona La dorica, FISAR, Harmony, Mazzieri, SAIPR, etc..
In Valle Lomellina is Clemente Serra.
In Giaveno (Torino) is eugenio Guglielmetti

At Vercelli are Co-Operativa Armonica, Gugliemo Ranco, Bartona and Locatelli, etc..

In Mondaino (forli) is Galanti.

In Parma, Bocchi.

In Fano, Remolo Galassi.

In Cremona, S. A. Anelli.

In Torino, Antonio Lajolo.

In Malva, Renato Pacini.

Also worthy of mention are the makers of accordion and harmonica reeds and others who are responsible for various accessories.  These include Egiziano Carloni, Fratelli Forlani, and Voxnova, of Stradella; SAVAC, Fratelli Breccia, Nazzareno Pietrella and Attilio Mandolini of Castelfidardo.

Yes, Italy can truly be said to be the home of the accordion!!