handmade Handcraft

Craftsman: free spirit

The craftsman is a free and creative artist and with this predisposition of mind reflects the “Italian” way of life, which avoids schemes and “organizational cages”: becoming a craftsman is therefore a real vocation.

Like the ice cream maker and the pastry chef, who possess qualities of great aesthetic balance and a sense of proportion and color, creating sculptural works and perfect architectural representations.
Even if edible; or the jeweler, able to create ornamental masterpieces, unique pieces that distinguish the wearer.
Or the inventor of new games that cheer up children or practical objects to facilitate our everyday life.

But we must not forget the “artisan of the pen”, an all-round artist: journalist, designer, cartoonist and storyteller. Also «The poet – wrote Carducci – is a great craftsman …», or rather a great craftsman.

Craftsmanship is art

• Fashion : emblem of made in Italy, to give a form of beauty not only to the dress, but also to the wearer. Dress born, therefore, not only as a shelter from bad weather or for a sense of modesty, but also to satisfy an aesthetic need. In the field of fashion, the craftsman combines beauty, comfort and practicality.
• Furniture: the art of beautifying the environment. After the glories of antiquity, the eighteenth-century Venetian splendors, the return of the neoclassical, the liberty … today we find both a rustic and modern craftsmanship, a manifestation of popular costume and folklore, according to seafaring, mountain or peasant models, which have their roots in our millenary culture.

Handicraft is an ancient craft

Ceramics, glass and the like: the potter often works in a millenary workshop in one of the small towns scattered around Italy and with slow and measured movements he takes the piece of clay and places it on the lathe (the same pushed by the hocks of his avi), molds it, inflates it, engraves circles and widens its mouth, finally attaches the handles, creating a unique object of its kind.

Goldsmith’s and jewelry: by jewel we mean any precious object created by man, be it ring, necklace, bracelet or other, whose preciousness and rarity, moreover, can be dissociated from intrinsic value, referring exclusively to the artistic handcraft contribution.

Craftsmanship is a timeless profession

Iron: in addition to the manufacture of weapons, due to its tenacity and malleability it has been used in countless works. Blacksmith art led to the creation of the first large wrought iron gates, then reaching its peak in the Baroque period. Today many artisans scattered throughout Italy delight in this art.

Leather goods and leather processing: today’s centers of artisanal production correspond geographically to the traditional of the sixteenth century and Tuscany in primis. The uses are manifold, from bookbinding to accessories; among the latest items of classic leather goods, we find the lady’s bag, which derives from the saddle leather saddlebag, intended to contain the objects of use for grooming the horse, equivalent to the toolbox of our car.

Craftsmanship is history

Restoration: Giorgio Vasari, painter, architect and historian, violently lashed out against any type of restoration, only to then carry it out himself on some of his works.
To the dilemma about the legitimacy of the restoration of ancient works, triggered by numerous imperfectly executed works, it was decided that it was better to restore rather than permanently lose masterpieces rich in history. Initially, mostly pictorial and statuary restorations were carried out, but over time that of restoration has become a precious and indispensable industry, given the urgent need to keep our artistic heritage intact, which is not limited, as one may mistakenly think, to the content of the museums, but it extends to the whole social, artisan and architectural fabric of our nation.

Craftsmanship is the backbone of Made in Italy.

Each region has its own handicraft, characterized by typical peculiarities and peculiarities, an expression of history and culture.