Episode 26 Italian Folk Bagpipes

October 15, 2025

Liuteria Sabatini (with Francesco Sabatini)

The last Zompogna maker in his region

📍 L'Aquila, Italy

His website: https://www.lindalebanjos.com/ 

Thoughts and Reflections

I was very lucky to have found Francesco! I knew I was in Rome area and thought it would be great to find an instrument maker; however, surprisingly there are very few in the Rome area; and the few there didn't seem all that interesting (mostly making standard guitars or violins). However, I stumbled across him in central Italy, 2-3 hours from Rome, but luckily I was already in the countryside!

Not only was he close, he turned out to be incredibly welcoming, kind, and intersesting. He is, by definition, one of the most unique instrument makers out there. He was incredibly smart, patient, and passionate about his work.

I found all of these distinctions confusing at the time and later when editing the video. I needed to have an extensive conversation with him a few weeks later to clarify all of the changes. He later said that I easily know more about the Zampogna (Italian bagpipes) than most Italians. 

I am also extremely grateful for the Ciaramella he gifted me. It is incredibly fun and loud to play. I hope to see his local village's instrument stay preserved and appreciated in this modern era.