Spinettone
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The spinettone was a kind of harpsichord invented in the late 17th century by Bartolomeo Cristofori, who was later the inventor of the piano. Other names for this instrument were spinettone da teatro,
The Cristofori spinettone in the collections of the Musical Instrument Museum in Leipzig, Germany
Detail of the spinettone illustrated above, showing the separate bridges employed for the iron strings in the top range. The four bridges are as follows: top left, four-foot bridge for lower strings (brass); top right, eight-foot bridge for lower strings (brass); lower left, four-foot bridge for higher strings (iron); lower right, eight-foot bridge for upper strings (iron)
Ferdinando de' Medici was the eldest son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans. Ferdinando was heir to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, with the title Grand Princ
Spinettone
…the space needed for the jacks. The spinettone that Cristofori built were intended for the Medici family of Florence, more specifically for his patron Prince Ferdinando, the son of Grand Duke Cosimo III and heir to the Tuscan throne. Prince Ferdinando was a great enthusiast for opera, and he organized many operatic…
Portrait by Niccolò Cassana, 1690
Anton Domenico Gabbiani, Prince Ferdinand and his musicians, 1685–90, Florence, Palatine Gallery of Palazzo Pitti
Villa at Poggio a Caiano
Grand Prince Ferdinando de Medici – Giovanni Battista Foggini (1683) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City