In the first few years following 1680, two main events changed the course of Stradivari’s future. The first took place in 1680 itself, when the luthier bought a house in Cremona’s Piazza Roma—formerly Piazza San Domenico—which probably meant leaving his master’s bottega— although his apprenticeship to Amati has never been confirmed—to begin life as an independent violin maker. It is important to remember that Stradivari did not come from a family of luthiers, as was the case with Amati, and taking this into account, his decision to set out on his own shows his determination as well as his boldness.
More information: Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 1, Page 160