This is the impression I get when I enter here. Ancient, yet familiar, welcoming, warm: a place where you feel good.
We are in the Atelier Deltos, by Simonetta Rosatelli.
The smell of paper, of glue. Around there are brushes, presses, cutters, an indecipherable arsenal that I was told is used to “sew books together, keeping them firmly in place”.
Here I happened to admire very heavy books, with thick leather covers and delicate and colorful miniatures inside. But also ancient parchments dating back to before the year 1000, account books from the Renaissance. A place to observe the history of people while the history we studied at school was happening.
These restorers are Simonetta Rosatelli and Martina Giammichele.
Martina now works in the Vatican Libraries and sometimes comes back here, to take a “vacation” in this friendly place.
This is Luigia Giusto, owner of Atelier Cartilia.
In company they work calmly and precisely, as the Carthusians did and as is no longer the custom today. While they work, they smile. They are sweet and kind, they do not interrupt the work, which they carry out diligently.
They know that theirs is an important profession: a fundamental link in the preservation of our origins, identity, culture, history.
The group also includes Roberta Mangiola, currently working on the restoration of the Eagle in the Church of San Miniato al Monte, in Florence.
The facade of San Miniato with the Eagle on the roof
This is the view from San Miniato. What do you say: don’t we live in a country that is worth honoring and preserving down to the smallest details?
Restoration group: Helga, Simonetta, Roberta
By the way: Gigliocooking offers a special program during which you can learn paper restoration techniques and cook recipes written on old papers.
Contact us at: info@gigliocooking.com