That’s a great story - I wasn’t interested in stringed instruments when I was in Italy in my teens (wasted opportunity).
I did visit the amazing Shrine to Music Museum in Vermillion, South Dakota (of all places) -which has violins by all the master Italian builders, as well as a Stradivarius guitar. The museum also has Norwegian fiddles, hurry gurdies, lutes, lyres, Asian stringed instruments, wind and brass instruments.
Even the workshop of American archtop guitar luthier James D’Aquisto.

What a wonderful story...! Learned a new word too by reading it, luthier a builder and repairer of stringed instruments, from the French luth, meaning lute. It’s important for us to preserve these precious instruments and their sounds for posterity.

What a labor of love! To do this work for future generations is awesome.