PIAZZA NAVONA

Walking in the streets of Rome on a sunny afternoon, we were filled with awe at the unique scenery of Piazza Navona and its pale painted Palaces and Baroque volutes on Bernini’s fountain. It's a dream that lives on in the magic of our colorful glasses, inspired by the great artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods who painted the acanthus leaves in their frescoes. The Girale d’Acanto (Ornamental Acanthus Leaves) is a decorative motif dating back to ancient Rome. It can be found in the bas-reliefs of the Ara Pacis and in the frescoes of the Domus Aurea. Along with other ornamental motifs, it inspired Renaissance painters who visited the newly rediscovered archaeological sites, and from then on, they took the name of Grottesche or Raphaelesque. The acanthus leaves, in particular, found its way into the paintings of Raphael in the Vatican Rooms and of Giulio Romano in Palazzo Tè in Mantua. We engrave this design onto the glass using needles on wax, then it is hand-decorated with pure gold and fired at a high temperature.