| In 1863, a weary Austrian pilgrim
leaving his long-awaited destination of Loreto paused to rest
for the night in the nearby town of Castelfidardo. After making
the 600-mile journey from his homeland to worship the infamous
“Black Madonna” statue, he decided to stop at
a small farmhouse and ask for hospitality for the night.
The farmhouse belonged to Antonio and Lucia
Soprani, and they were more than willing to oblige their foreign
visitor. Refreshed, the pilgrim pulled out a strange looking-box,
making sounds that the Soprani family had never heard as he
skillfully worked the bellows of the instrument.
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