In 1968 the Italian harpsichord maker

   Bartolomeo Christofori began work on 

   a special new keyboard instrument. His

   aim was to build an instrument that

   could play loud and soft (unlike the

   popular harpsichord of the day which    

could only play at one volume level). In 1709, the new instrument was

 finished. The new instrument later came to be  known as the 'piano 

forte', 'piano'.