The 1909 instrument made by Ferruccio Varagnolo and valued at $65,000 has not been played for 30 years.

Not much is known about the life of Ferruccio Varagnolo. The gifted young luthier from Milan who was born in the 1880s studied the art of violin making from the celebrated craftsman Leandro Bisiach and was surprisingly prolific as a maker. Although the precise number of instruments he made is unknown, when those that survive to this day find their way to the world’s great auction houses, they are notable for their warmth and depth of tone and sell for many tens of thousands of dollars.

Yet despite his accomplishments and superb skill, Varagnolo’s genius was a tortured one. He would die aged just 31 years old in a mental asylum in Eastern France where he spent the last few years of his life.  His story may have been troubled and cut tragically short, but his name is preserved in his legacy of instruments, and one of these precious violins has remarkably now turned up in Queensland.

Brisbane-based luthier Olaf Grawert of the Violin Studio was approached by the owners of the instrument, who were unaware of its value or the fascinating...