Enrico Ceruti (born Riccardo Fabio Ceruti) was an esteemed Italian luthier, known for crafting violins and other bowed string instruments, as well as being a contrabassist. He was born on May 4, 1806, in Cremona, where he spent the majority of his career until his passing on October 21, 1883. Trained by his father, Giuseppe Antonio Ceruti (1785–1860), and the grandson of Giovanni Battista Ceruti (1756–1817), Enrico is often regarded as the last of the traditional Cremonese luthiers.

After honing his skills under his father's guidance, Enrico established his own workshop on Via Borgo Spera. Following Giuseppe Antonio's relocation to Mantua in May 1838, Enrico became the primary luthier in Cremona, carrying on the family legacy. Over his nearly six-decade-long career, he produced more than 360 violins and cellos, which were highly sought after by Italian orchestral musicians. His work earned him several accolades, including silver medals for his violins at the London exhibitions in 1851 and 1870, as well as a gold medal in Cremona in 1863. Remarkably, he continued to exhibit his work until 1881, even at the age of 75. He collaborated with notable violin dealers in London and Paris, such as J.B. Vuillaume (1798–1875) and Luigi Tarisio (1796–1854).

However, some contemporary scholars have suggested that Ceruti's commercial success was limited, arguing that he struggled to attract English and French customers who were predominantly interested in the works of Stradivarius and del Gesù and were less receptive to Ceruti's original designs, which were heavily influenced by his predecessors and Carlo Bergonzi.

Details about Enrico Ceruti's personal life remain sparse, though it is believed he had at least two adult children based on circumstantial evidence. His daughter, Amalia (dates unknown), appears in Mantova census records from the early 1840s while visiting her grandfather, Giuseppe Antonio Ceruti, as noted in Philip J. Kass's June 2017 article for the Tarisio website. His son, Paolo (dates unknown—1876), is referenced in a letter from Enrico dated October 17, 1876, addressed to his friend, Cremonese violinist and collector Giovanni Battista Cerani.

Interestingly, Giovanni Battista Cerani later remarried Paolo's widow, Michelina (dates unknown—circa 1883), inheriting a remarkable collection of 360 antique tools, molds, and patterns amassed by Enrico. This collection, which included relics from Lorenzo Storioni's workshop and items reportedly acquired from Giacomo II Stradivari (1822–1901), was donated to Cremona's Civic Museum in February 1893 by Cerani. It subsequently became part of the permanent exhibition in the "Cremonese Musicians and Violin-Makers Room," which later evolved into the Museo del Violino.

Beyond his collection, Enrico Ceruti's most significant contribution to Cremonese luthiery lies in his role as a mentor. He maintained a direct "mentor-disciple" lineage from the era of Storioni and Bergonzi to the present-day Cremonese revival. One of his apprentices, Gaetano Antoniazzi (1825–1897), trained his sons, Riccardo (1853–1912) and Romeo Antoniazzi (1862–1925), who in turn mentored Leandro Bisiach (1864–1945) and Ferdinando Garimberti (1894–1982). Notably, in September 1938, Bisiach participated in the international expert committee for the establishment of the Scuola Internazionale di Liuteria Cremona ("International Violin Making School"), while Garimberti served on the faculty for several years following World War II, from 1963 to 1966.

Labels: Both printed and manuscript labels featured identical text and layout, with some variations including alternative initials, R.F.C. (for his legal name "Riccardo Fabio") or a "dotted" cross ⁜ in place of a Maltese cross, and an additional "heraldic" seal with encircled initials 'G.E.C.' surmounted by the Jerusalem cross ☩.

Enricus Ceruti fecit ✠ Cremonæ anno 18[𝟩𝟢] E. F. C.