One of my favourite places in Italy is Firenze. I read about the artisan being still alive and well in Florence and was looking forward to meeting artisan bookbinders. There is an abundance of shops in the city stocking books – mostly leather bound, but I discovered that most of them are part of a chain of stationery shops, or independent shops stocking all the mass produced journals with book blocks made by machine and then glued into their leather covers or casebound. I was determined though and persisted in asking in every shop I went to where there was a bookbinder making books by hand! Eventually I found a bottega where a sole bookbinder is making her living making handbound books – mostly commissions. I spent a lovely half an hour chatting with her. In the artisans area – on the “other” side of the river we chanced upon jewellers, violin makers, chair restorers and iron workers.
Florence is the home of Zecchi – what a treasure trove that shop is – the owners have found, revived or reproduced all the colours of the pre Renaissance and Renaissance painters – the pigments are in jars behind the counter. My one indulgence was to purchase a small tin of half pan watercolours from Zecchi – they are formulated in Florence using pure pigments, honey and gum arabic.
Zecchi watercolours
Zecchi Firenze
- Florence – Full Moon over the Duomo – market stall holders packing up for the evening
Folios and Fibre 