SCULPTURE AND THE WHITE LECCE CHALKY STONE

Stefano, sculptor

I propose you a 3 hours long meeting consisting in a lab visit, a display of my creations, an introductory lesson to comprehend the typical Baroque from Lecce and to get familiar with the material (Lecce chalky stone), and a demonstration of baroque sculpture. You will then have a breakfast in my garden, so that you can taste the authentic Pasticciotti from Galatina, an amazing and unique pastry!

SOGLIANO CAVOUR, Le

THE WEAVING ART IN PERUGIA

Marta, weaver

Welcome to my atelier in the heart of Perugia! It will be a pleasure to host you in my atelier, the former Church of San Francesco delle Donne, a deconsecrated building that in 1200AD was the first Franciscan church in Perugia. Since 1996, the hand-weaving workshop of Giuditta Brozzetti—my great-grandmother and founder of the atelier—has been based in these magnificent premises, and today it is one of the last places in Italy to practice hand-weaving. I will tell you the history of the workshop, started in 1921 with the intuition of Giuditta who recovered traditional motifs and designs from the Umbrian territory and founded the workshop-school for the production of high quality artistic fabrics for home furnishings. Millennial techniques and ancient production phases are still used today to create incredibly contemporary fabrics of historical inspiration. I will show you our artistic production that has been hand-woven in linen, cotton, silk, cashmere blend and gold and silver laminate on antique eighteenth-century pedal looms and nineteenth-century Jacquard looms. You will understand the functioning of our imposing Jacquard looms and of my beloved original loom of the 1700s, with which I still make copies of the fabrics found in the frescoes by Pinturicchio, Giotto, and Luca Signorelli, but also the initial phase of the work process: the preparation of the warp and weft, set up with a machine that was modified by Leonardo da Vinci, according to a system that is more than 500 years old! After discovering the secrets of production, you will test yourself under my guide, creating a decorative tassel made with the yarns I use for my production, which you can take home with you as a souvenir of the experience!

PERUGIA, Pg

FACCIAMO IL PAIO SHOES & DRINK

Olivia, shoe maker and designer

Tre serate esclusive all'insegna del romanticismo in cui potrete gustare un aperitivo in laboratorio a lume di candela mentre progettate le vostre scarpe di coppia. Possiamo incidere insieme i vostri nomi come all’interno delle fedi o progettare qualsiasi altra personalizzazione che racconti qualcosa di voi! ...un modo diverso per festeggiare non solo San Valentino, ma anche tutto il cammino che si fa a due. Le scarpe saranno poi realizzate da me e spedite direttamente a casa vostra!

PESARO, Pu

LEATHER CLASS

Giuseppe, leather craftsman

During this experience you'll be able to create 4 small leather or fabric goods, such as frames for your photos or a hard cover for your personal planner. You can choose the type and color of material to work with and, under our guidance, you will learn all the steps for the realization of the products that you will bring home as a memory of the experience. The workshop will end up with a dinner based on pizza, cooked in a wood oven at the craftsman's house.

GUBBIO, Pg

THE PILGRIM’S NOTEBOOK

Lucia e Hans, bookbinder

The experience involves the creation of a notebook made of paper, leather, and string (of about 8x13cm in size). You may choose your favorite colored leather from the many in the bookbinding workshop. With Hans and Lucia’s guidance, you will be able to follow the different workshop phases, which include a medieval technique in the preparation of the paper sheets, which are sewn and bound directly onto the leather cover. This way, book cover and stitching make a single piece and the notebook will be ready in just a few steps. You may also personalize it with graphic or floral motifs, or with your initials, directly embossing the chosen decoration on the surface. Finally, a leather string around the notebook will help tie it shut.

VITERBO, Vt

YOUR LITTLE TAPESTRY

Mariagrazia, weaver

You will be welcomed in my atelier, where I'll unveil you the magic and the secrets of hand-weaving. You will learn how a 4 and 8 healds loom works. You could try yourself to use a loom, specifically a "telaio/cassetta", to create a little tapestry to bring back home with you. There will be various spun available so that you can free your creative energy.

GUBBIO, Pg

SCAGLIOLA, BETWEEN ILLUSION AND REALITY

Elisabetta & Alessandro, scagliola

We will tell you about the history and the state of art of this ancient, and somehow "lost" craft, showing you some secrets and some stylistic and technical aspects. Starting from a "simple mineral dust", with a practical exhibition we will took you back in time, when the ability and skills of the craftsman began with the preparation of the tools, the sketches and the color pigments. The realized artwork remains yours. Finally we will discuss together about the most important existing collection, with the practical support of some antique pieces, dating from the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, collected with great passion by our family.

PONTASSIEVE, Fi

THE SECRET COLORS OF LANDS

Elisabetta, sculptress

With this experience I'm offering an evocative journey through the ages. I'll show you the manufacturing of soils and of their colors. I'll tell you and I'll let you try, manually, the fascinating working technique used by the potters of the Roman times. They were considered as great artists, so much that their artworks were valued as gold! I'll guide you through the handmade creation of small jewels and other objects of your choice. You can bring them with you, or better, I'll send them to you once they are fired. Through this workshop you'll find out the connections of our territory with the ancient past. This is in fact characterized by the population of “Stabiae” (the current Castellammare di Stabia), which was the favorite “holiday destination” of patricians. If weather permits, we'll work open air with a panoramic view on the Naples Gulf, with the majestic Vesuvio in front of us.

CASTELLAMMARE DI STABIA, Na

YOUR FIRST JAPANESE PRINT

Mara, engraver

Become a carver and printer for a day and create your first Japanese woodblock print. An afternoon to be introduced to the wonders of this ancient printing technique that does not require the use of solvents or acids. After a brief introduction where you will have the chance to admire some original vintage woodblocks and some original Ukiyo-e prints; I will explain you the steps to create your first print. At this point you can work at your own design, or you can let yourself inspire by the many books in the studio. Carve and print your first simple printing with two wooden matrices and then print more copies of them on Japanese paper.

AVIGLIANA, To