The history of the violin in its physical development is about as
             interesting and diverse as the history of its social standing. On the one
             hand it was seen as a lowly instrument not worthy of genteel time, while on
             the other it rose with leaps and bounds in social standing during the 17th
             century. Even today the instrument still fascinates and even obsesses
             According to Gheerardyn, the violin originated in the form of three
             historical instruments: the rebec, the Renaissance fiddle, and the lira da
             braccio. The first can be traced back to the 13th century and included
             treble, alto-tenor and bass instruments. Its pear shape featured no sound
             post, while the neck and peg box were integrated with the instrument
             itself. Three strings were tuned in fifths, whereas its sound was
             reminiscent of the oboe (Gheerardyn). The Renaissance fiddle originates
             from approximately the 16th century. It included five strings and a violin-
             like shape. Its top and back were connected with ribs, whereas the neck
             and fingerboard were separate. It only included the soprano register. The
             third, the lira da braccio, was more versatile than the Renaissance fiddle,
             in that it was manufactured in a variety of sizes. Its back and top were
             arched, with overlapping edges. Ribs and a sound post were supplemented
             with four c-shaped sound holes. Of its seven strings, two were drones
             The violin emerged from a combination of the three above instruments,
             and several advantages soon favored it for popularity. There was for
             example its greater sonority, the ease of playing and tuning, and more
             sensible fingering (Gheerardyn). They were also lighter, smaller and
             easier to carry when played at festive events such as weddings, dances and
             mummeries, in addition to which the particularly well-tuned sound was a
             Violins as they are known today evolved starting around 1520 in
             northern Italy (S...