Saddle maker and leather artisan from Tolfa

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Tolfa is a little town nested on a steep hill in the middle of a beautiful and still partly uncontaminated countryside, hills and land as far as the eyes can see. This is a land for hunters, breeding farms and horses. It is located in the central part of Italy and it is the southern point of an area called Maremma where the proud horse riders are called “butteri”.

During my visits to Tolfa I’ve noticed that people and my friends living there, always wear a nice leather bag. So over the years I learned more about this particular leather bag called “catana”.

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Handmade hats: Antica Manifattura Cappelli

The oldest millinery workshop in Rome

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Once I was strolling down a little street in Prati neighborhood in Rome and a particular shop window captured my attention, nested between a tourist guide shop and a coffee shop. There were beautiful hats hanging around but what really struck me were the racks of hat wooden shapes I noticed through the window.

I thought it was a lovely display and I immediately wanted to see more behind that door.

Inside, the shop leads to the workshop on the back and it opens to a millinery heaven.

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Handmade lampshades in Rome

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I’ve been born and grew up in Rome but I’ve lived abroad for 10 years, when I moved back I had the pleasure to stroll around the historical centre with the nostalgia from my youth for those artisans who did not survive the time and changes and with the joy of a tourist discovering little boutiques and workshops where I never paid attention.

One of these is Lavori Artigiani Romani L.A.R., nested in a little corner close to the main shopping streets. When I noticed their beautiful and quirky windows proudly showing a sign operating since 1938, I decided to visit them during working hours.

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