New York Times: accordion-manufacturing centre, Castelfidardo, Italy.

Nice business piece in the NY Times on Castelfidardo’s high-end Italian accordion industry.

“Production in Castelfidardo peaked in 1953, when nearly 200,000 accordions were made in dozens of factories that employed about 10,000 workers.”

“Pigini is the largest accordion maker in Castelfidardo….  The company makes about 60 models, costing from 2,000 to 30,000 euros, or $3,000 to $43,000…employing about 40 skilled workers and producing about 1,500 accordions a year.”

The Culture and Construction of Accordions (little slideshow).