The organ, church of Saint Michel, Villefranche-sur-Mer
VILLEFRANCHE SUR MER
CHURCH OF SAINT MICHEL
This instrument completed in 1790 bears the signature of two brothers Antoine and Honoré Grinda, organ builders from Nice. Honoré Grinda was a pupil of both Joseph Isnard and Rabiny beforre he became honored by Victor Amédée the Third as the King’s own organ builder.
The organ case was was built in Villefranche by Giovanni Antonio Mangiapano after being designed by the Grindas An estimate made by Agati in 1843 planned the construction of a new organ. In 1871 François Mader a builder from Marseille from Polish background started a major restoration task on the manuals, pedalboard and bellows.
Since 1962 some inopportune action or even parts of the organ which had disappeared lead to rhe instrument’s complete deterioration.
It was rebuilt in 1982 by Michel Giroud (an organ builder from Grenoble) according to the remaining bits and pieces and following similar patterns of two organs at Claus and L’Escarène (also built by Grinda). The instrument and the organ case are registered under the Department of French Historical Monuments.
Organ description:
The organ is built in the French style. It has only one manual with 53 notes (C 1-F 5 without first C sharp). The pedal board (new) is built in the French style with 12 notes not having its own pipework. Slider-chest, supsended mechanisms, stop-knobs.
Tuning A 415 Hz, Mean-tone temperament.
