Homeless man finds violin

Hidden under a cupboard in an abandoned house in Vence was a violin case with the inscription "Antonius Stradivarius Cremonesis faciebat anno 1721". And inside, the instrument seemed to be a genuine masterpiece made by the Italian master lute-maker. It was a 35-year old homeless man who made this discovery in the attic of the small dilapidated detached house where he had been squatting for a few days with another homeless person.

‘I was struck dumb’

"Actually, I had been thrown out of another squat by the SPA*, who wanted to have the place back for their welfare work. Dogs and cats are clearly a greater priority than humans!" said Eric sarcastically, his chubby face showing beneath a black woollen cap. "As it was turning cold, we looked for another place close by. This old building looked abandoned so we moved in. While I was rummaging around a bit all over the house, I came across this case wrapped up in old rags. On seeing the name Stadivarius I was struck dumb. I immediately took it to Vence town hall."
Originating from Lille, Eric Grygiel came to the French Riviera in the late 1980s. He manages to get by by taking casual jobs for a day or a week at a time. Whenever he’s fallen on lean times he hasn’t hesitated to beg for money or to resort to petty crime (shoplifting, theft from cars), which has landed him in prison for a few months on occasions.
But this time, faced with the supposed importance of his find, he didn’t dream for a minute of keeping his find for himself. "If, in a year and a day, the owner hasn’t claimed it, it will be mine" he says happily, looking like a child who’s waiting for Father Christmas.
Currently being kept in a safe in Vence police-station, the instrument will be valued officially on Tuesday.

(*The French equivalent of the English RSPCA (Royal Society for the Protection of Animals)

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