The Mandolin's Birthplace 

As with a variety of instruments, the common belief is that an instrument's true origin comes from one particular country.  In the case of the mandolin, the birthplace of the mandolin is believed to be Italy.

Was the very first mandolin constructed in Italy or did the instrument evolve and gain in popularity in this country?  To fully comprehend the depth of this question, one needs to study the origin of instruments or ancestors of the mandolin. After all, the history of this instrument extends far back throughout many centuries. 

What has been well documented, is that the mandolin's predecessor was the Lute, which was one of the most popular instrument of its day.