The Antegnati were a family of organ builders active in Brescia between the late 15th and early 18th centuries. Their work extended beyond organs to include other instruments such as harpsichords and spinets. A total of 19 individuals from the family were associated with this profession, contributing to the professional development of artifex instrumentorum musicorum (craftsmen of musical instruments), a profession that was considered "more mechanical than free" art in the Middle Ages and sometimes viewed by people as "very low and almost begging".

The founder, Bartolomeo Antegnati, was mentioned in 1481 during a competition for the renovation of the organ of the Santa Maria de Dom church in Brescia. He was succeeded by his sons Giovan Battista, Giovan Giacomo, and Giovan Francesco I. Giovan Battista worked on several organs in Brescia and Padua but faced criticism for some of his works. Giovan Giacomo, on the other hand, expanded the family business to Milan and built organs that were highly esteemed by his contemporaries. Giovan Francesco I was known for his production of keyboard instruments.

The next generations continued the family legacy, with notable figures like Graziadio, who built the largest and most famous Antegnati organ in the world, and Benedetto, who carried on his father's work in Parma and Turin. Costanzo, son of Graziadio, collaborated with his father on several projects and continued the family tradition, completing about 25 works in forty years. The family's legacy extended into the 17th century with figures like Giovan Francesco II, who inherited the mantle but faced challenges in maintaining the family business. The family's peak era ended around the early 18th century with the last representatives passing away in 1710.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antegnati_(Orgelbauer)