This

is an excerpt from the href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/products/item224.cfm"

target="_self">April 2009

issue of href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/products/item224.cfm"

target="_self">Dream of Italy

:

The Orsoni

Mosaic Studio is a hidden gem

in href="http://www.dreamofitaly.com/public/department57.cfm"

target="_top">Venice

. It's tucked behind high walls in the style="font-style: italic;">Canareggio

sestiere,

off a fondamenta

that wasn't even on my style="font-style: italic;">Streetwise Venice

map. Since 1888, the family-run foundry has been producing style="font-style: italic;">smalti

(colored opaque glass) and gold leaf mosaics that are used to restore

the world's most beautiful churches, such as style="font-style: italic;">Basilica San Marco,

and shipped off to provide materials for renowned buildings such as

Gaudi's Sagrada Church in Spain and the Golden Room in

Stockholm where Nobel Prizes are awarded.

In 2003, Maestro

Lucio Orsoni, the

great-grandson of the company's founder, and a world-famous

mosaic artist, decided to open the curtains of this secret place. He

initiated workshops to teach what he calls “a divine

art.” Classes here are kept small (six maximum), so

there's lots of individual attention given by

instructor/artist style="font-style: italic;">Antonella Gallenda,

who's been working by Lucio's side for 30 years.

Students come from all over the world for one- or two-week sessions to

learn basics, micro-mosaics or portraiture. There are also three-day

classes for those who simply want to have a taste of the craft and make

a small mosaic—adding a cultural zing to their stay in

Venice.

When I visited last fall, I got to see the fascinating work of the

foundry, where men gather around a blazing furnace, scooping molten

glass onto a rotating metal belt where the goo flattened and

transformed into iridescent pancakes. There's a huge color

library—rickety wooden shelves stacked with 2,000 hues of

smalti, which are cut into pieces to make mosaic tiles. Everybody from

the workers in the foundry to the staff and students who I met were

especially upbeat, I'm guessing because they're

surrounded by all this beautiful sparkly stuff all day.

Stopping by a two-week portraiture class, I found students hammering

and gluing away, with a fun, creative spirit in the air. Though all the

work looked like it came from pros, the gal from Chicago whose portrait

of her adorable five-year old son I admired told me she'd

never done mosaics before.

And there was Connie Giacobbe, a former Kansas City hairdresser who

told me she'd come here as a beginner three years ago and now

was back for her third time. Her technique has advanced so much

she's gotten commercial commissions for her creations.

A fab feature of the program is that in the same renovated Orsoni villa

as the workshop is style="font-style: italic;">Domus Orsoni,

a bed and breakfast designed by mosaic artisans where students can stay

during their course. It's the only style="font-style: italic;">arti-turismo

I've ever seen, and when it's not filled with

workshop participants it's available to visitors looking for

bargain digs in an under-touristed Venice neighborhood.

Connie told me she loves staying there and waking up to the sounds of

the foundry workers singing as they begin their day. Through her stays

here taking classes, she's made friends with mosaic artists

from all over the world. She told me, “A lot of nights after

dinner, we'll go back into the workshop with a bottle of wine

and some cheese and get to work. Sometimes we're up until

three in the morning. It's completely relaxing.”

--

Susan Van Allen style="font-style: italic;">

href="http://www.orsoni.com" target="_blank">Orsoni

Studio

Via Cannaregio, 1045

Venice

(39) 041 24400023

www.orsoni.com

Foundry tours can be arranged by appointment. Week-long mosaic master

classes are offered at least once per month throughout the year, except

August. Thematic workshops (micro-mosaics or portraiture) are offered twice a

year, so it's best to reserve well in advance. Three-day

workshops are offered this year in April, June and July. A master class

costs 750 euros for one week, 1,400 euros for two weeks. The thematic

class cost 1,800 euros for two weeks. The three-day workshop is 480

euros. Prices include use of all equipment and materials (including

2,000 Orsoni smalti), art instruction and  one or two guided

tours.

target="_blank"> style="font-weight: bold;">Domus Orsoni

Sottoportego dei Vedei, off Fondamenta

Cannareggio

Venice

(39) 041 2759538

www.domusorsoni.com

Rates:

Singles rooms start at 80 euros  per night. Doubles range from

100 to 250 euros and triples range from 120 to 280 euros

per night, depending on the season. Includes breakfast.

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