Italy's influence in the arts and sciences of the Renaissance is huge, but what was created there was sometimes inspired by foreign art, making Italy both an example and a mirror for the rest of Europe. Italians were particularly fond of the French chanson and sublimated these beautiful pieces with an exquisite treatment on the lute, following the example of Alberto da Mantova or, later, Giovanni Battista della Gostena. The influence of the "canzona francese", in their own words, gave rise to the instrumental canzona, which in turn gave rise to the sonata later, in the seventeeth century.
We know that the great lutenist John Dowland traveled through Italy at the end of the sixteenth century. His music contains traces of local authors, so it might just be possible that he met Simone Molinaro in Genoa, or the impressive Giovanni Antonio Terzi. The latter's publications contain a large number of foreign pieces, which he adapted in his own way. By dint of abundant and vertiginous invention, he pushed the instrument's resources to the limit, potentially bringing about the dawn of the Baroque.