{"id":44509,"date":"2021-11-02T10:12:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T10:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.romeing.it\/florence\/pitti-mosaici-in-florence-the-art-of-mosaics\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T16:40:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T16:40:56","slug":"pitti-mosaici-in-florence-the-art-of-mosaics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.romeing.it\/florence\/pitti-mosaici-in-florence-the-art-of-mosaics\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitti Mosaici in Florence: The Art of Mosaics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A hands-on experience of the traditional Florentine mosaic, the Pietra Dura<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Directly outside the Palazzo Pitti<\/strong>, in the spot where the old palace stables used to be, stands the sort of picturesque shop you could walk past on your way to aperitivo, without realising what is inside. I urge anyone who is in Florence to stop by this shop and find out more about one of the city\u2019s last artisan mosaic businesses.\u00a0Upon first entering, knowing nothing about Pietra Dura mosaics<\/strong>, I met a retired English couple who were looking to decorate their new villa with some local artwork. As they talked prices I found out the answer to the age old question, \u2018can you put a price on art?\u2019 Yes, as it turns out you can. And it can be expensive. I was soon given a tour of the workshop and an outline of its history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The craft of Pietra Dura is a Florentine style of mosaics<\/strong>, creating artwork through the use of hard and semi-precious stones, utilising the natural colour of the stones. Although around since the Roman period, the history of modern Pietra Dura work originated in Florence. Since the days of the Medici, Pietra Dura has spread throughout the world, stretching as far as the Taj Mahal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unique piece of Pietra Dura mosaic.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Is It Made?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This unique piece<\/strong>, found in the Pitti Mosaici<\/strong> showroom, is an example of a Pietra Dura mosaic. It depicts Apollo, the protector of art and culture. The table is a reproduction from 1837. The more detailed original was worked on for 13 years, and is on exhibition in Palazzo Pitti, just across the road. The reproduction piece took the artisans three years of dedication<\/strong> to complete.\u00a0The amount of time and money invested in the modern table, although less than the original, is still extraordinary. It is an example of the modern craft at its best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other mosaics, Pietra Dura often is so delicate it can be mistaken for a painting<\/strong>, rather than artwork made from stone. The zero gap<\/em> is an important aspect of the craft. It refers to the absence of space between each stone piece. The meticulousness of the work and how well this is done will affect its value. To create a piece one must make a drawing, trace it, divide it into the colours needed, and then find the perfect stone to match the colour. The stone is cut with a bow-like tool made from chestnut and iron (the same tool used in the Renaissance), and then polished with water and a smeriglio (similar to iron shavings), which prevents the artwork from being affected by the elements and its surroundings. Final polishing is made with wax, which protects the surface from minor scratches and weather conditions, and helps to keep the art shiny. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two main ways to create Pietra Dura. The first is by joining many little pieces of stone together, and the second, more used way involves searching for larger, unbroken pieces of stone to create the desired image. The idea of not breaking up the stones is to keep the work closer to nature. Stones are gathered from all over the world so the artisans can find the most specific colours for their work, as I found out inside the Pitti Mosaici workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n