Creative craftsmen and artisans

Each month we will feature artisans who work with different materials and produce unique objects. Interested in visiting their workshops or having a tailor-made itinerary for a certain area of Italy? Contact macryan@alice.it .

Feel free to contact these artisans directly and don’t forget to tell them that you learned about their work on Elegant Etruria.

Desks made to Order, Vetralla, Lazio

Flavio Tolo has one of the world’s most stressful jobs: during the week he is behind the wheel of a city bus plowing through Rome traffic. On weekends instead he relaxes in his country workshop, creating objects in wood such as this Pinocchio sculpture or specially crafted desks like this one he made for his family’s bookshop located in Vetralla. A well rounded craftsman, Flavio also creates lead soldiers which fill a show window at the bookshop. Contact www.libridinatura.it

Lute and Violin maker , Florence, Tuscany

In Florence’s tiniest shop just around the corner from the Uffizi Galleries, a surprising encounter: an American woman originally from Chicago, who has been creating magnificent violins and violas for top musicians since 1979. If you were watching the Inauguration Ceremony of President Obama on Janurary 20^th, you saw one of Jamie Lazzara’s perfectly crafted instruments being played in near zero temperatures by Itzhak Perlman. Contact: jmlazzara@aol.com

Etruscan Gold Jewelery Torgiano, Umbria

Since the rediscovery of Etruscan art in the 1840's, people have admired the design, detail and workmanship of Etruscan jewelry. The mysterious art of granulation, soldering tiny spheres of gold in an invisible way on to a thin foil to form the structure of a jewel, is alive and well and being practiced in Umbria by goldsmith Ulderico Pettorossi.

After years of study, trial and error Ulderico’s passionate interest in Etruscan art has led him to create works of art of extreme complexity such as the magnificent brooches, necklaces, and earrings like this whose original is in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Collectors snap up his reproductions of Etruscan gold objects which often take years to produce and are priced from 3,000 to 8,000 euro. www.orodeglietruschi.eu

Mosaic Masterpieces Rome, Lazio

From her studio just south of Rome Sabrina DeAngelis designs and creates mosaics on commission for churches, private homes and interior decorators . These mosaic masterpieces range from tiny roses, decorative panels and inserts on tables to complete pavements and huge Byzantine style saints and religious figures. Sabrina’s many years of hands-on study with master craftsmen in the shadow of St. Peter’s cupola make her one of the top mosaic artists in Italy today. Her eclectic creations include pavement mosaics for a Saudi Arabian embassy, saints’ portraits for the Cathedral of Panama City and restoration of mosaics at Roman and Etruscan sites. Sabrina_deangelis@yahoo.it

Laura’s Jewels Vetralla, Lazio

Laura Furlan, originally from Vittorio Veneto in northern Italy, spent many years as a stylist and instructor of decorative arts. Officially retired since her move to Vetralla, she can still be coaxed into creating unique jewellery using semi precious hard stones such as agate, Carniola, river pearls and Venetian glass beads and funky handbags .

“I refuse to work with deadlines”, she says,” for I must wait for inspiration from the stones and other materials . When possible I like to meet the client personally, since I create each piece specifically for that person.”

Her workshop, a huge loft above the main piazza in Vetralla’s historic center , is a creative atelier from which the results pour out to every corner of her home: decoupage chairs and furniture, colourful table settings, to stylish outfits made to order and shipped to an affectionate clientele overseas, especially in England and Japan . laurafurlan@yahoo.it

Itineraries

Exploring around Civitavecchia

Etruscan Temple

The Royal Cardinal’s Route

Layer cake of history

Favorite Drives

Fulvio's Recipes

Lifestyle

Notes from Italy

Click here to join our page and keep up with latest news and happenings in central Italy. This page is the natural evolution of the Newsletter which was published in 67 editions over 5 years. Don’t miss out, join today to keep abreast of the news and photos.