The viola is a stringed (chordophone) musical instrument played with a bow. It is slightly larger than a violin (body length of 40 to 42.5 cm) and has four strings of varying thickness, tuned in fifths (C, G, D, A). Its range covers 3.5 octaves, from C to F and, as a result, it has a deeper sound than the violin. The viola was first developed in the 16th century, and the most famous instrument of this kind was the Viola Medicea crafted by Stradivari, with a body length of 47.8 cm.