Mandolin

The mandolin we know today developed in the beginning of the 18th century in Naples and was named after it. It preserved the arched body of its predecessor, the lute, which is glued together from individual frets. It limited the number of strings to four pairs and modelled its tuning after stringed instruments. Due to its slightly curved top it was able to take greater pressure and thus enabled the replacement of gut strings with metal ones. The mandolin became a popular folk instrument especially in Italy, and in the 20th century also elsewhere.

Mandolin ensembles were being formed in Koper from the mid-1890s onwards.  The first to be formed was a women's mandolin group, consisting of young ladies from high society.