L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES T he beautiful walled city of Volterra, an ancient Etrus can town some 45 miles s outhw es t of F lo- rence, is famous for its well-pre- served medieval ramparts, muse- ums and archeological sites, and atmospheric cobblestone streets. F ans of A merican author Stephanie Meyer know it as the setting for the second book in the Twilight series, New Moon. But V olterra has another claim to fame that is older than vampire tales. Since ancient times, Volterra, a key trading center and one of the mos t important Etruscan towns, has been know n as the city of alabaster. The Etrus cans mined alabaster in the nearby hills and considered it the stone of the dead. The mineral was used for elaborate funerary urns and cas- kets that housed the ashes of the departed, prized for its durabili- ty, beautiful coloration, natural veining and translucence. When the Romans ascended, alabaster fell out of favor and marble became the preferred sculpting material. Alabaster made a come-back in the mid-1500s when Volterran artists began to slice the translu- cent stone into thin sheets to make w indow s for Italy's medieval churches. At the end of the 18 th century, following a period when the stone was again unpopular, alabaster workshops began springing up, and a com- munity of traveling salesmen helped bring alabaster objects to every corner of the globe. After World War II, there was a push to industrialize the craft, but a handful of Volterran artists insisted on preserving the ancient manual techniques. In fact, the tools and methods used today are almost identical to those used by the ancient Etr- uscans. To work alabaster requires an assortment of hand tools, an artistic eye, and a tolerance for vast clouds of dust. An alabas- traio begins with a block or chunk of alabaster. If the final product is to be a vase or bowl, the stone is turned on a lathe similar to what is used to make pottery and then shaped with chiseling tools. If the alabas ter is to be sculpted into heads, busts, ani- mals or other figures, a clay or wax model is often used. Alter- nately, a pantograph can be employed to accurately transfer the measurements to a larger piece. Although alabaster and mar- ble may seem similar in appear- ance when polished, they are very different materials, particu- larly when it comes to their hard- nes s and mineral content. Alabaster is a fine-grained form of gypsum, a sedimentary rock made from tiny crystals visible only under magnification. The ancient Egyptians preferred alabaster for making their sphin- xes or creating burial objects such as cosmetic jars. The purest alabas ter is w hite and a bit translucent; impurities such as iron oxide cause the spidery veins. Marble consists mostly of cal- cite, formed when limestone underground is changed through extreme pressure or heat. It's not quite as delicate as alabaster and became the preferred material for mas ter s culptors s uch as Michelangelo who relied on mar- ble from Carrara for his most famous works. To see the stunning artistry of Etruscan-era alabaster, head to Volterra's Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, one of the oldest public museums in Europe. The collec- tion of archeological objects was started in 1731 by Mario Guar- nacci. When he died in 1785, he donated his artifacts to "the pop- ulace of the city of Volterra," transforming a private collection into a public one. In the museum, visitors can view more than 600 Etruscan urns, arranged according to sub- ject matter. There are rooms full of urns decorated with demons, fierce animals, flowers or masks. Ulysses escaping from the tempt- ing Sirens is a popular subject along with Greek gods and god- desses. Numerous caskets depict images of the people who passed away, lounging on beds or enjoy- ing a meal. One of the museum's rooms recreates an alabaster studio from Etruscan times. Although more than 1,000 urns have been unearthed in the surrounding area, archaeologists have yet to discover an ancient workshop, so some of this is guesswork. But becaus e techniques have changed little over the centuries, the tools and furniture on display w ere s imply borrow ed from modern-day alabaster artists. Following a visit to the muse- um's Etruscan collection, it's time to take a look at Volterra's alabaster industry. In the city center, there are many alabaster shops selling everything from wine stoppers to chandeliers, bowls to jewelry. Several shops have their workshops close by so you can see the craftsmanship, tools and carving process up close. Walking into the alabaster studio at Alab'Arte is like step- ping back into time. Artist-own- ers Roberto Chiti and Giorgio Finazzo have been partners for 42 years, first meeting as stu- dents in art school. "My father owned a bar," said Finazzo, "so this was not a skill passed down from father to son. But I enjoy the work and am happy to carry on the traditions of this beautiful art." The workshop of Gloria Gian- nelli, located on the ground floor of Palazzo Tortoli, is next door to the Etruscan Museum. Gian- nelli began working in alabaster in 1980 and was the first woman in Volterra to enter the field. Her particular style of craftsmanship owes much to the traditional arts of embroidery and lace. She even markets her art as "lace-like cre- ations in alabaster." She's won many national and international awards and this past September, her work was featured in Venice in an exhibition of European crafts called Homo Faber. The Rossi alabaster workshop has been around since 1920. The shop is tucked away on a side street and its entryway is filled with old photographs, chunks of alabas ter and dus ty vintage equipment. Although the carv- ing methods might be traditional, the products seen in the Rossi showroom are contemporary in both style and design. Volterra: a city of Etruscan origins, known for its connection with alabaster © Stevanzz | Dreamstime.com Referring to her work as "lace-like creations in alabaster," Gloria Giannelli was the first woman certified to work in alabaster in Volterra. (Rita Cipalla) Volterra and alabaster: More than 3,000 years of art in stone RITA CIPALLA

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