The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice
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Golden Allure
Goldbeater and Jewellers
The goldbeater's art dates back to 2000 BC when the Egyptians first beat gold into papyrus paper. Today Marino Menegazzo, master goldbeater at Mario Berta Battiloro, carries on the tradition in his artisan laboratory, beating gold into ultra-slim leaves - mere microns thick.
Occupying five arches in the historic St Mark's Square where his grandfather opened the family business in 1925, Alberto Nardi celebrates Venice with his beautiful pieces: a ring depicting Rialto Bridge, earrings shaped like Basilica della Salute and enamel masks evoking the famous masked balls.
MARINO MENEGAZZO
The last Goldbeater in Venice
The ancient art of the Battiloro (goldbeater) has been heavily shaped by the goldbeaters themselves and the cities they practise in. It is clear to see the impact Venice's unique light and climate has had.
MARINO MENEGAZZO
What is the most satisfying part of your craft?
The most satisfying aspect of my craft is to see how the gold gradually flattens out from a 4-5 cm ingot to form a 12-13 cm-wide leaf, allowing light to reveal the patterns imprinted by the strikes of alternating hammers. The beating itself is a truly contemplative task; as the leaf develops you have to adjust yourself constantly.
The charm of gold and this craft is that the beating process changes every time, as the beater responds to varying temperature and climate conditions.
MARINO MENEGAZZO
What inspires you in Venice?
Even though I was born here and have lived in Venice for over 67 years, the inspirational beauty always manages to surprise me. Crossing the same old ‘calli' unveils something new and mysterious every time.
Venice has always been linked to the goldbeater, and for 200 years was the only custodian of the craft during the Republic of La Serenissima. It was Venice that introduced the art of the goldbeater to the rest of Europe.
MARINO MENEGAZZO
If you hadn’t been a goldbeater what other craft would you have considered?
I am the very last goldbeater working in Europe. If I hadn't chosen this craft, I would have been a blacksmith, because you can create beautiful sculptures with iron, which express the soul of an artist - that is actually what we artisans are. I think I will forever be the last artisan goldbeater, unless someone really falls in love with this craft as I have. My own contributions to this evolving craft are new techniques to accelerate beating and 17 different colours of gold.
The proudest moment of my career was when the Michelangelo Foundation awarded me as "Master of Arts and Crafts" in Milan, giving an unrivalled recognition as the last goldbeater.
ALBERTO NARDI
Master Jeweller
Nardi jewels have adorned cultural icons the world over, from Princess Grace of Monaco and Ernest Hemingway, to Marilyn Monroe and Elton John. Alberto is passionate about keeping alive this ancient tradition dating back to the 11th century, when precious stones were first traded and cut in the historic Rialto district.
ALBERTO NARDI
How did you become involved in your craft?
I have always been fascinated by this world and eager to continue my family tradition. I remember that as a child my grandfather used to take me here to this shop after kindergarten, sat me on his lap and showed me the stones. Using microscopes, magnifying glasses and tweezers to discover the deepest characteristics of a stone captivated me. I graduated as a gemologist at the American Gemological Institute before travelling the world to collect stones.
ALBERTO NARDI
How would you describe Venice’s character?
Venice owes its strength and beauty to its originality. Venice is a unique city, not just enchanting, but unique in its allure. Creating a city in the middle of a brackish lagoon, without drinking water and under extreme conditions, is a choice of tenacity and strength that never ceases to fascinate me and makes me proud to be Venetian.
ALBERTO NARDI
What do tradition and innovation in your craft mean to you?
The word tradition derives from the Latin verb "traere" that means to take something from the past and bring it to the future. This is precisely what I have always pursued, taking positive things from the past, and not simply letting them languish in their former glory, but bringing them towards modernity. Many people think that tradition is something static and dead, but is instead something that moves.
EMILIANO FAVARO, MASTER GOLDSMITH
How did you come to work at Nardi?
My parents told me that I was born saying I wanted to be a goldsmith, so there is no logical explanation. I was very lucky to study on the Goldsmith's course at the Art Institute - everything bloomed from there. Alberto's artisan-philosophy really resonated with me: tradition in my craft means carrying on originality, not homogenising the processes, making large numbers, lowering costs. Tradition is also about finding a beautiful stone, contemplating it and thus building a jewel.