The Best Place in the World
Flying over the coast of Lazio, preparing to land in Roma
“Italy is the best place in the world. . . for vacation.” I’ve heard it more times than I can count.
I’ve been living between Italy and the United States for my entire life, even traveling there for vacation, for my studies, and sometimes on business. It’s a second home for me; someplace to go back to whenever I feel the need to hit “reset” and soak in as much natural, historic, architectural, culinary and artistic inspiration as I possibly can (a list that is by no means exhaustive).
The Church of San Marco, Milano (ph: Arian Jabbary)
Piazza dell’Orologio, Roma
Over the years, it has become an invaluable resource to me, so you can imagine my frustration when my favorite corner of the world is equated to Disney’s Magic Kingdom - a mere vacation spot. The Italy that I know is so much more. It’s home to some of the most creative, industrious people that I’ve ever met: descendants of farmers, innovators, patrons – people that regard work as something that bestows dignity and warrants “rispetto.”
Contrary to the pervasive stereotype that Italians spend most of their days shuttling between cigarette and espresso breaks, the Italians I know work just as hard as traders on Wall Street. These Italians are masters of craft; many began learning their trade while they were still in high school or earlier. Their time off is not uncommonly spent reflecting on how they can perfect the proportions of a new design, or the intricacies of a newly devised technique.
I’d even venture to say that these craftsmen and artisans are the solid foundation that have generated and sustained Italian culture for centuries. They are Italy.
This is the Italy I know.
Master Goldsmith, Paolo Penko
Master Embroiderer, Aurora Pettinari York
Master Luthier, Tomaso Pedani
L’Arte Nascosta means the “Hidden Art” in Italian. You can think of this website as a vintage Alfa Romeo that we will ride all throughout this crazy peninsula that hangs from the Southern coast of Europe. We will delve beyond the superficial vacation hotspots to explore the heart and framework that sustains its vast and deep culture: its food, its architecture, its art and history, its natural and man-made beauty.
Most of all, we will discover the “Hidden Art”: that decisive moment when an artisan, tool in hand, passes the reins over to his human intuition to do something that has been done since the beginning of time, but that seems all too precious in this modern tech age: create.
L’Arte Nascosta is a celebration of those who create.
On the banks of the River Arno, Florence.
Continue to follow our adventure here on www.lartenascosta.com and on our Instagram, @lartenascosta.