Gioffredo Cappa (circa 1647 – 6 August 1717, Saluzzo) was a distinguished Italian luthier known for crafting violins, violas, violoncellos, and other related bowed string instruments during a prolific period spanning from approximately 1679 to the early-to-mid 1710s. Cappa is recognized as one of the prominent figures of the Piedmontese luthiery school, alongside notable contemporaries such as Fabrizio Senta (1629–1681), Giovanni Francesco Celoniato (1676–1751), Andrea Gatto (fl. 1660–70), and Enrico Cattenar (circa 1620–1701). Despite his reputation, Cappa's biography remains largely unexplored, characterized by various contradictions and speculative theories within the academic literature. Name variations include Geoffredo, Goffredo, Chiaffredo, Iofredus, and Jofredus Cappa.

The precise date of Gioffredo Cappa's birth has been the subject of extensive debate among musicologists, art historians, and violin collectors. William Henley aptly summarized this discourse in his Universal Dictionary of Violin & Bow-Makers (1959), describing it as "polemics… attended with wearisome prolixity." In 1890, Orazio Roggiero, a prominent Italian numismatist and antiques collector, initiated a detailed investigation into Cremonese diocesan archives, leading to the discovery of Cappa's obituary, which provided an approximate age at the time of death. However, interpretations of this burial record, which is now presumed lost, vary among scholars. Federico Sacchi's 1898 biography, Count Cozio di Salabue: Celebrated Violin Collector, states the birth year as 1647, a point further developed by Philip J. Kass in his 1993 conference presentation, "Modern Historical Research: The Violin as Art" (Journal of the Violin Society of America, Vol XIII, No. 2). Kass referenced the obituary, noting Cappa's approximate age of "about 70." Conversely, Henley's 1959 work suggests that Cappa's death occurred in his "seventy-third year," implying a birth year of 1644. Additionally, the narrative surrounding Cappa's apprenticeship with the renowned Nicolo Amati (1596–1684) in Cremona has sparked ongoing debates among musicologists. The lack of substantial documentary evidence casts doubt on this claim, with stylistic continuity often attributed to misattributed instruments or superficial reproductions; moreover, organological analyses of Cappa's verified instruments reveal significant differences from Amati's "Grand Pattern."

Several instruments bearing labels that are presumably authentic indicate that Cappa may have lived and worked in various cities within Piedmont. For instance, a cello formerly played by Marc Coppey is labeled "Chiafredi Cappa feci / in Mondovi anno 1697," while a violin bears the inscription "Iofredus Cappa fecit Taurini 1697." It is speculated that Cappa migrated to Mondovì to escape the French invasion during the War of Spanish Succession (1696–1713), and a stay in Turin is plausible due to the city's vibrant musical and artisanal scene, supported by the patronage of Prince Victor Amadeus of Savoy (1699–1715). However, no definitive documentary evidence has been presented, and Cappa's name is notably absent from the 1706 Turin census. Records confirm his residence in Saluzzo in 1707, as well as his death and burial there in August 1717.

Noteworthy examples of Cappa's instruments include: - A 1686 violin played by Amiram Ganz of the Altenberg Trio Wien - A circa 1690 cello played by Meta Weiss - A 1695 violin, previously owned by Stéphane Grappelli (1908–1997) - A 1696 cello played by Jean-Guihen Queyras - A circa 1710 violin in the Royal Academy of Music collection - A circa 1710 violin housed at the Musée De La Musique in Paris

Labels: Original labels from Cappa are exceedingly rare, and his instruments were often favored by unscrupulous dealers. Henley noted that "any nondescript violin bearing the slightest resemblance to Amati… was elevated from its obscure position by insertion of a faked ‘Cappa’ label."

Notable mentions of Cremona, associations with "Nicolo Amati alumni," and dates prior to 1665 are generally considered non-authentic. Examples of labels attributed to Cappa include: - "Jofredus Cappa in Saluzzo, fecit anno 1698" - A label with square lettering and decorative border, deemed "presumably fake" - A decorative frame, reproduced in Karel Jalovec's Italian Violin Makers (1952) with a date of "1630"; Willibald L.F. von Lütgendorff listed this style as "Fraudulent" with a year of "16𝟪𝟨," featuring distinct handwritten final digits.