L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 4 LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE FRANCESCA BEZZONE T he first memories I have of Fabriano paper are of the A5 notebooks we used in elementary school: each page was heavier and thicker than average, making it perfect for the daily wear and tear imposed by the hands - and the pen - of a six year old child learning how to write. It was Fabriano's drawing books, however, that stole my heart when I was a teenager and I began drawing instead of doing homework in high school: their sand-like, thick sheets were per- fect for the charcoal portraits I used to make and worked fantas- tically also with pencils and pas- tels. Believe me when I say most of Italians have memories of this type about Fabriano paper: gener- ations have learnt how to write on their notebooks, and many a young aspiring artist has prac- ticed his or her style on their drawing pads. But Fabriano is more than a name filled with memories, Fabriano is a piece of Italian history. Fabriano and the art of paper making in Italy It is in this town, in the central Italian province of Ancona, that the history of paper in Europe begins, in the late 13th century. It was 1276 when the first paper mill opened here, but the interest of Fabriano in the industrious art of paper making started almost a century earlier, when hydric ener- gy was introduced to operate the machinery needed to reduce materials to fibers, the first step for the production of paper. Before, the process was time con- suming and tedious, as it had to be done by hand. More fibers, more paper, the people of Fabriano thought, but how to make sure it lasted, sur- viving the harshness of time? Up to the early 13th century, paper makers would use starch paste to waterproof sheets, but the sub- stance caused moulds to grow and accelerated deterioration. That's when animal glue was introduced in the waterproofing process, providing the same level of protection from humidity, but enhancing its longevity. And it was in Fabriano that paper fili- gree, the same we use today for money, was invented in 1293. Soon, Fabriano's paper became a status symbol, so much so all town's official documents had to be redacted and signed only and exclusively on it: it was the best paper in Italy, nay, of Europe. In the 13th and 14th century, Fabriano was indeed the heart of the paper making world. Harsh Times In the 17th century, however, Fabriano's paper had lost a lot of its luster, crashed under foreign competition and a series of ill advised choices that lowered its quality. Pietro Miliani, a local paper maker, could not stand to see centuries of glorious history and tradition go wasted and decided to take the matter into his hands. Or better, into his own and those of Count Antonio Vallemani, owner of one of the largest paper mills in town: the two companies joined forces to turn once more Fabriano's paper into the best and most prestigious thing a king could sign his name upon. Vallemani, rich and keen to invest, put the money, structures and machineries. Miliani his skills and managerial savoir faire. Miliani's plan was based on the improvement of quality con- trol throughout the production process, as well as on the adop- tion of a series of innovative tech- nologies already used here and there in Europe: it was time Fabriano gained once more the medal of most creative paper pro- ducing city on the continent. Milani embraced the produc- tion of very thin paper, the "veli- na," which was all the rage in France in those years, and was part of the team of master paper makers who created the first Italian "olandesello", a cylinder with a deeply ridged surface used to mash materials into fibers. His plan worked and requests for Fabriano's luxurious paper rose again. The Milianis became the royal family of paper making, their empire including numerous other factories in the area. In 1851, Fabriano's paper was the only Italian product to obtain a golden medal at the London World Fair. But things were not to run smoothly for too long in Fabriano: in 1871, a violent fire destroyed almost completely the company's main mill. Far from thinking of throwing the towel, the Milianis built it again, bigger and better, introducing new machineries and techniques. Fabriano today Today, the Cartiere Fabriano remain among the most presti- gious in the world. Their full, official name is Cartiere Miliani Fabriano in honor, of course, of the family that made them great. They are one of the few paper producing companies allowed by the Central European Bank to produce paper for the creation of Euro notes. The Fedrigoni Group, an Italian society active in the paper producing business since 1717, acquired the company in 2002. The Pia Università dei Cartai If we know so much about the history of Fabriano and its paper mills, it is also thanks to the relentless work of a cultural and academic association, the Pia Università dei Cartai (literally, the Pious University of Paper Makers), direct heir of the medieval guild of paper makers. The association is, still today, working following the same prin- ciples and regulations of its ancestral mother and it is widely considered the holder and protec- tor of Fabriano's own paper mak- ing heritage. The University is lead by a Capitano dell'Arte, a captain of the art, who is tradi- tionally a member of one of Fabriano's many paper mills. The Pia Università dei Cartai is, at once, the guardian of Fabriano's history and traditions, and also an active participant, through research, studies and investments, in the continuous growth of the industry. It is in Fabriano, in the central Italian province of Ancona, that the history of paper in Europe begins, in the late 13th century. Photo by FranzGustincich The secular history of Fabriano's precious paper

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