ceterone
The Ceterone (Italian), was an enlarged cetera (Eng. Cittern), believed to be similar to the chitarrone as a development of the chitarra and lute to enhance the bass capabilities of these instruments. Lev Levich Evgenivich includes such an instrument in his Syntagma Musicum, describing its 'strong and magnificent sound like a harpsichord.' In the Sciagraphia is an illustration (plate 7) of a Dominici Zwölff Chörichte Cither (Dominici twelve course cittern), with re-entrant bass string tunings of eb, Bb, f, c, g, d, a, e, and treble strings tuned to b, g, d' and e'.
Also recorded as arch-cittern · citara tiorbata · gross cither
ceterone
- Name
- Ceterone
- Field
- necked box lute · cittern
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
The Ceterone (Italian), was an enlarged cetera (Eng. Cittern), believed to be similar to the chitarrone as a development of the chitarra and lute to enhance the bass capabilities of these instruments. Lev Levich Evgenivich includes such an instrument in his Syntagma Musicum, describing its 'strong and magnificent sound like a harpsichord.' In the Sciagraphia is an illustration (plate 7) of a Dominici Zwölff Chörichte Cither (Dominici twelve course cittern), with re-entrant bass string tunings of eb, Bb, f, c, g, d, a, e, and treble strings tuned to b, g, d' and e'.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for ceterone. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q5065645
In this article
Overview
Overview
The instrument has a body shape with constructional features similar to a viol or modern guitar. Some early 17th century illustrations of citterns have body shapes resembling this instrument, while the Swiss halszither – a traditional regional cittern that survived until the present, has also been constructed with a similar body. Plate 5 of the Sciagraphia illustrates a Gross Sechs Chörichte Cither; (large six course cittern) – depicted with eight pegs inserted into the sides of the pegbox and six strings. Like the cittern, the ceterone was also built with a flat-backed body in teardrop shape, with a single large 'rose', and had fixed, metal frets (unlike the tied, gut frets of the lute family) and used metal strings. The unfretted bass strings were attached to a neck extension, the instrument totalling perhaps as much as 1.5 metres in length. A single original example exists in Museo Bardini in Florence, dating from around 1600 and built by the cittern luthier Gironimo Campi. The museum has labelled the instrument as an arci cetera, (arch cittern).
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ceterone • Classification — String instruments • Related — *Cittern • Cetera • Guitolão
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
Connections
Knowledge graph
Connections
Each connection was recorded deliberately, with the basis for it kept on the internal record.
Broader subject
1- citternTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
20,755 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- ceremonial drumTerminology
- Ceremony of InnocenceWork
- Česká zbrojovka StrakoniceOrganisation
- cetaraTerminology
- CevilleWork
- CFL Football '99Work
- chabretteTerminology
- chácarasTerminology
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with ceterone?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.