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Fabulous Florence
A Flourishing City in Italy By Michele St. Martin
During the 15th century, authentic Florentine-made furniture began to take on intricately decorated details. A variety of woods were often combined to make one piece of furniture, including cherry, beech, walnut and pine. Simple chests were painted with decorative scenes, often including the family's coat of arms. These chests became the inspiration for ornately decorated wedding chests (cassone) containing a bride's trousseau.
In addition to painting, impasto and relief-work became popular methods of furniture decoration. Impasto involves covering the wood with a cloth that is thickly coated with a paste made of plaster, powdered marble and glue. Relief-work, a process using the same paste mixture, includes additional steps to outline a design, apply oil and glue and ends with the application of gold leaf or color.
Many of these decorating styles are still produced today, with young artisans instructed by older ones, who were in turn instructed by others in their youth. But sleek, modern furniture is produced in Florence, too: Alias, Driade, Boffi, Cassina, Artemide, Cappellini and B&B Italia are just a few of the well-known manufacturers.
Florence is known as a liberal city, not as conservative as other Italian cities that have closer ties to the Vatican. Combine this easy-going attitude with Florence's beauty and the prosperity it enjoys, and you have the perfect recipe for la dolce vita (the sweet life). Or do you? Along with the partial elimination of the time-honored siesta, urban development doesn't just loom on the horizon – it is actually underway.
Of the many ambitious projects, one of the most notable is the building of Firenze Nova, a virtual satellite ity to Florence. Firenze Nova will encompass nearly 3.5 million square feet and will include housing developments, the University of Florence campus, governmental offices, a park and a hotel.
Can the everyday life of the Florentine flourish when development does too? The answer is an unqualified "yes," for the ultimate art of this enchanting city is not its paintings or sculptures, but la dolce vita itself.