Bologna
Weaving history with astonishing visuals and stories, this episode of Italy Made with Love offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the workshops of artisans and culinary masters of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. Here, families carry on traditions and heritage, often with painstaking attention to detail and deep personal passion. One family prints fabric using a secret 1400-year-old paint recipe and a machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Another family handcrafts fine leather shoes, spending one month on each pair. In the vineyards of Modena, a husband and wife lovingly make superior quality balsamic vinegar that requires 25 years of aging. Often called ‘Italy’s Culinary Capital’, Bologna is home to master pasta makers who share their secrets for crafting tortellini and pasta ragu, two beloved dishes that originated in Bologna. Learning the stories of artisans and their processes is an exciting new way to understand the richness, beauty, and heritage of Italy.
Master Pasta Makers
Sisters Daniela Venturi and Monica Venturi are the dynamic duo of Le Sfogline with 20 years working together with their handmade pasta. Their precise work and family recipes help them create delicious tortellini and more. These master pasta makers carry on Bologna’s tradition of fresh pasta made with eggs. The sisters’ joy in the kitchen also makes its way into the food.
Check out Le Sfogline’s Website
Fabric Printers
Antica Stamperia Marchi was founded in 1633 to produce heirloom quality printed cloth using centuries-old tools and techniques. Today, the Marchi family still uses their 500-year-old machine to create their smooth fabric, ready to be stamped with amazing designs. Alfonso Marchi with his daughter Lara and son Gabriele work together to create these beautiful masterpieces.
Check out more work by Antica Stamperia Marchi
Metalsmith
Massimo Chierici is a metalsmith artisan who specializes in creating artistic designs from iron. He is one of the last metalsmiths following the ancient wrought iron handmade tradition in Bologna, and possibly in Italy. Massimo runs Bottega Prata, a shop opened by master metalsmith Antonio Prata in 1930. Massimo learned everything he knows about metalsmithing from the Prata family and proudly carries on their family traditions. Massimo ensures that the traditional techniques mastered by Antonio are still used today in every sculpture he creates.
Check out more work from Bottega Prata
Tagliatelle al Ragù
La Salumeria di Bruno e Franco is a salami store on the first floor and a pasta lab on the second floor where Mother Daughter team Grazia and Martina make pasta all day. They hold the family recipe for the famous Bologna dish - Pasta Ragu, which is pasta with meat sauce. After years of practice and with the age-old family recipe still intact, Martina and Grazia have become experts in their cooking. Both the meat sauce and the pasta in their iconic dish are homemade from scratch.
Balsamic Vinegar
At their Acetaia, husband and wife Sandra and Luciano carry on the family tradition of producing tangy, sweet traditional balsamic vinegar. Sandra was born on the property and watched her grandmother also lovingly make vinegar so many years ago. On their property they grow three different kinds of grapes. Every grape has a particular smell, taste, flavor, and aromas. Their vinegar cellar holds the delicacy as it ages. Superior quality vinegar ages a full 25 years before it is sold.
Handmade Shoemakers
For more than 40 years, Enzo Bonafe has been creating men’s high-end footwear using the most traditional craftsmanship techniques. Enzo and his wife Guerrina started the shoe making business back in the 1970s. Today, it’s a family business where they are joined by son Massimo, daughter Silva, and now granddaughter Benedetta. Love is included in every step of the process, from drawing the model, adding leather, sewing, and molding.
Check out more: Enzo Bonafe
