Liguria
As the sun rises in Liguria, local artisans begin their work, with one eye toward the sea. In Genoa, a jeweler and a goldsmith pay tribute to their homeland by designing a piece with green gold and a blue sapphire, echoing the mountains and the sea. Twenty miles away, in the Genovese suburb of Chiavari, a unique sculptor with six decades of experience crafts a dazzling mermaid out of wood. Further south, two families work together to produce something truly special: They’re crafting the first ceramics in the Cinque Terre village of Monterosso in the town’s history. Inaccessible by land until 1870, Cinque Terre is a rare wonder that’s gone nearly untouched for centuries. This secluded way of life has contributed to a reliance on local fishing and agriculture, as promoted by a father-son duo who own the local fish restaurant in the neighboring town of Corniglia. Across the region, these artisans all share one commonality: A passion for their families, their heritage, and their home.
Cashmere Clothiers
Liapull Avant Toi is an artisan company that believes in technology and innovation. Their machines are modern, but the basics are the same as they were 70 years ago when Lia Gambetta Ghignone founded the company. Dying an expensive fabric like cashmere was unheard of before Liapull Avant Toi, and now it’s what they are most known for. With their fabrics dyed using spray paint and hand coloring, every piece is unique. Lia’s children Fiorella and Mirko Ghignone, now head the company, and her granddaughter Giulia Marini represents the third generation.
Check out Avant Toi’s Website
Chocolatiers
Eugenio Boccardo is a chocolatier at Chocolate Viganotti, a chocolate boutique that started in 1866. The Boccardo family eventually took over what the Viganotti family started more than 150 years ago, though they still make chocolate and other treats the old fashioned way, by hand. One of Eugenio’s specialties is croccante, a praline that uses honey, sugar, and hazelnut. In true artisan fashion, they follow the entire production process to make chocolate - from bean to bar.
Check out Romeo Viganotti
Gold and Silver Jewelry Maker
Sara Gismondi’s family began designing luxury goods for affluent nobles in the 1700s, and she continues the legacy with Gismondi Atelier. While there are many jewelers in Genoa, what makes Sara’s shop unique is her commitment to using traditional tools, just as her family did hundreds of years ago. Alessandro Loffredo, a talented goldsmith, joined Sara as her creative partner because he, too, was inspired by the traditional jewelry making tools Sara’s shop uses.
Check out more by Gismondi Atelier
Boat Restoration and Maker
Francesco Topazio is the owner of Cantiere Navale Topazio, the boat building business his father opened in 1962. Their ancestors have been builders of Ligurian goiters and shipwrights since the mid-1600s. Francesco has always been a shipwright and he started working at a very young age, maintaining the techniques his family began using hundreds of years ago. Their legacy is building and repairing gozzo boats, wooden fishing boats, with a sundeck covering the hull. The salt levels in the Mediterranean cause common problems to these boats. Without the unique expertise of Francesco’s team, some gozzo boats would potentially never sail again.
Check out Antico Cantiere Navale Topazio
Ceramic Plates
Mila Celsi has been producing handmade clay ceramics for 40 years. She owns Fabbrica d'Arte Monterosso with her longtime friend and schoolmate Francesco Roberts. Though the art of ceramics reached its height in Italy during the renaissance, it wasn’t until this duo began their company in the 1980s, that ceramics were available for purchase in Monterosso.
Check out more from Fabbrica d'Arte Monterosso
