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Orsoni
Calle Vitelli, 30121 Venice, Italy
(39) 041-244-0002
The largest of Italy’s last three mosaic foundries, Orsoni was founded in 1888 and makes all of its glass tiles the old-fashioned way. Down a small lane in the ghetto district is a collection of buildings that house the ovens, the storerooms, cutting rooms, offices and gallery as well as a classroom and five bedrooms. (When the one- or two-week mosaic making classes are in session they are reserved for students.)
After viewing the incredible mosaic work of St. Mark’s Basilica, it’s illuminating to see how much labor goes into crafting each square. You can buy bags of mosaics in thousands of colors; those with gold or silver leaf being the most expensive. Orsoni tiles have been used in restoration work all over Italy, including St. Mark’s, and across the world on landmarks such as Sacré-Coeur in Paris and the Sagrada Família in Barcelona. “Macedonia is rebuilding many of its churches,” our tour guide informed us, “so that is where lots of these tiles will be shipped.”
Written by Indagare
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