L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano G inori 1735 is a m o n g t h e m o s t i c o n i c names of Ital- i a n p o r c e l a i n m a k i n g , b u t y o u m a y b e more familiar with the way it used to be called until a cou- ple—four, to be precise!— years ago, Richard Ginori. Its story, as you may have a l r e a d y g u e s s e d , s t a r t s i n 1735, when Marquis Carlo Andrea Ginori, a member of an aristocratic family with a keen interest in the arts and sciences, established a porce- lain manufactory in the small town of Doccia, situated near Florence. The porcellana di Doccia, as it came to be known, was a blend of local and interna- tional styles, influenced by Ginori's travels and his expo- s u r e t o v a r i o u s a r t i s t i c e x p r e s s i o n s : i n d e e d , t h e high-quality porcelain works of Meissen and Sèvres had a s i g n i f i c a n t i m p a c t o n t h e m a n u f a c t o r y ' s e a r l y c r e - ations. Under the leadership of Carlo Ginori, the company quickly gained a reputation f o r p r o d u c i n g p i e c e s o f r e m a r k a b l e q u a l i t y , o f t e n d e c o r a t e d w i t h i n t r i c a t e d e s i g n s a n d m o t i f s t h a t reflected both Italian and European artistic trends. By 1838, the Ginori manu- factory had witnessed sub- s t a n t i a l g r o w t h a n d h a d expanded its operations to include five furnaces, with two dedicated exclusively to the firing of porcelain, and almost 200 employees; fifty years later, Ginori operated 15 furnaces and employed a workforce of 1200. In 1896, the brand merged with a Milan-based ceramics manufacturer founded by Augusto Richard, giving birth to the renowned brand Richard Ginori. Richard, l i k e C a r l o G i n o r i , w a s a v i s i o n a r y i n t h e f i e l d o f c e r a m i c s a n d h a d e s t a b - lished a strong presence in Northern Italy with several factories. The merger cru- cially brought together two distinct artistic and manu- facturing traditions to create a true powerhouse in the porcelain industry, which included eight major manu- factories under the Richard G i n o r i b a n n e r . T h e n e w entity capitalized on its com- bined strengths to innovate a n d e x p a n d i t s p r o d u c t range, maintaining its repu- t a t i o n f o r h i g h - q u a l i t y porcelain while adapting to changing market demands and artistic trends. D u r i n g t h e e a r l y 2 0 t h century, Richard Ginori con- tinued to build upon its rep- u t a t i o n f o r h i g h - q u a l i t y p o r c e l a i n . I t f a c e d c h a l - lenges common to many his- toric brands, including eco- n o m i c f l u c t u a t i o n s a n d changing consumer prefer- e n c e s . H o w e v e r , t h e l a t e 20th and early 21st centuries were quite tumultuous: the brand faced financial chal- lenges, which led to a series of ownership changes, with a major turning point coming i n 2 0 1 3 w h e n i t w a s acquired by the luxury fash- i o n h o u s e G u c c i . T h i s a c q u i s i t i o n m a r k e d t h e beginning of a new era for Richard Ginori: Alessan- dro Michele was appointed as its artistic director and brought a fresh perspective to the brand, infusing it with a modern aesthetic while r e s p e c t i n g i t s h i s t o r i c a l roots. In 2016, Richard Ginori became part of the Kering Group, which stabilized the brand further and provided i t w i t h t h e r e s o u r c e s a n d support to expand its reach in the luxury market. The culmination of these trans- f o r m a t i o n s b e c a m e e v e n more evident in 2020 when the company underwent a significant rebranding and changed its name to Ginori 1735. The move was strate- gic, as Kering wanted to shift the brand's focus towards becoming a global lifestyle design name. But tradition is still important, of course, as aptly symbolized by the com- pany's new logo with its ele- gant, hand-crafted lettering, that shows a perfect blend of heritage and innovation. T o d a y , t h e b r a n d i s renowned for its high-quali- ty, artisanal porcelain table- w a r e a n d h o m e w a r e . Emphasizing a blend of her- itage and innovation, Ginori 1735's products often feature elegant designs that combine classic motifs with modern aesthetics and color palettes. Current collections showcase e x q u i s i t e c r a f t s m a n s h i p , with attention to detail and artistic expression evident in each piece, just as you would expect from such a long-last- ing and important Made in Italy brand. Indeed, thanks to its commitment to crafts- manship, creativity, quality, and tradition, Ginori 1735 remains a symbol of Italian excellence in the world of l u x u r y p o r c e l a i n a n d a delightfully beautiful invest- ment, if you decide to get a piece to keep in your home. D id you know that the first shopping mall was built in ancient Rome? We are talking about Tra- jan's Market. Built around 110 AD, it was a significant architectural achievement for its time: made of red brick and concrete, it originally had up to 150 different shops, offices, and apartments, spread over six levels . Of course, markets were not new in Roman cities, they had always been at the heart of their social and commercial life. Shops were located on the lower floors of buildings where usually - especially in the early centuries of Roman history - shopkeepers would make the goods they sold themselves. However, as Rome expanded, a class of middlemen emerged who sold products made by others, acting as wholesalers for a variety of goods. Wealthy Romans often sent their slaves to do the shopping, while the less affluent shopped for themselves, mainly focusing on essentials like bread and vegetables. Trajan's Market hosted many of these shops, all in the same place, and it became a go-to destination for ancient Romans. But it wasn't just a commercial center, as it also housed administrative offices for Trajan's empire. Indeed, the market's design, attributed to the architect Apollodorus of Damascus, included both a sequence of shops known as tabernae and various public and administrative spaces. This structure was so well- designed and robust that it continued to be used even after the fall of the Roman Empire, which also con - tributed to its good preserva- tion . Very importantly, markets like Trajan's played a vital role in Rome's food welfare sys- tem: for example, the distribu- tion of free grain, the cura annonae, to the Roman pop- ulation, would take place there. The cura annonae was a crucial aspect of maintaining social stability and was man- aged by a public body respon- sible for public buildings and festivals . Trajan's Market is still standing: located on Via dei Fori Imperiali, it also hous- es the Museum of Imperial Forums (Museo dei Fori Impe- riali). The Market is open every day of the week from 9:30 am to 19:30 pm, with final admission one hour before closing. The closest metro station is Colosseo, which is about a ten-minute walk away. The Market of Trajan, as we see it today (Photo: Chun Ju Wu/Dreamstime) The craft of ceramic making and decorating was at the heart of Ginori's beginnings (Photo: Ollirg/Dreamstime) Shopping, Roman style: the invention of shopping malls Three hundred years of elegance, with Ginori 1735 LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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