Oltre Bernardino piffaro: strumentisti a fiato alla corte di Mantova tra XV e XVI secolo

As was customary in the European courts of the XVIth century, in Mantua the Gonzagas used musicians to project an aura of nobility and power. Wind instruments played a significant role in this strategy and Bernardino Piffaro stood out for his technical skills and personal qualities. It is also interesting to see how these nobles trusted and even relied on these musicians, tasking them with various types of important assignments, even diplomatic ones. In particular, this is the case of the “trombetti”, who were required to have a solid cultural background and excellent dialectic skills, aside from their musical qualities, to be able to accomplish delicate and complex missions. This essay studies the characteristics of these musicians in the period between the eighties of the XVth century and the beginning of the XVIth