In the Middle Ages the city of Venice was very wealthy and music for individual instrumentalists flourished. Leading Italian composers founded in the city a centre of performing excellence and outstanding lute players working there included Joan Ambrioso Dalza and Franciscus Bossinensis, though the most intriguing was Vincenzo Capirola. Probably an Italian nobleman of brilliant performing technique, he was to create one of the most important books of lute music in the early 16th century.