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Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
©Ruth Miriam Carmeli

Lituana Di Sabatino

  • La Nuova Musiva
  • Mosaic maker
  • Florence, Italy
  • Master Artisan
Lituana Di Sabatino Mosaic maker
Contact
Italian, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+39 3408486456
©Jonny Ventura

Colourful stone puzzles

  • • Lituana specialises in Florentine mosaics
  • • She learned everything about stones from her master, Roberto Marrucci
  • • She uses an ancient technique to create innovative artworks

A mosaic artist and restorer specialised in the commesso fiorentino technique, Lituana Di Sabatino was still a student in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, when a trip to Florence determined her future career. She visited the museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, which is a historical semi-precious stones workshop and nowadays an important restoration centre. Lituana was so impressed by the stone work there that she decided to train as a Florentine mosaic maker. After graduating, she moved to Florence and become an apprentice in the workshop of master Roberto Marrucci. "He was an excellent teacher, passing on not only his skills but also the passion for his craft. He used to take me to see quarries where I learned everything about stones,” Lituana remembers. “He lighted a fire in me.”

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
  • ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
  • ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
  • ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
  • ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
Photo: ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
Flower pot

This pot full of flowers was created with the commesso fiorentino technique. The vase is made of lapis lazuli, while Belgian black was used for the contrasting background. As for the flowers, tulips are in red Egyptian jasper, daisies in yellow chalcedony from Volterra, convolvuli in amethyst, and daffodils in white chalcedony.

Photo: ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
Priest

In this scene, a priest climbs towards San Miniato in the summer heat. Created with the commesso fiorentino technique, the piece is made of yellow chalcedony (for the walls and the priest’s umbrella), black lilac of Chianti (for the priest’s robe), and Impruneta gabbro green (for the trees). In the background, the dome of the church, made of red chalcedony from the Pyrenees, can be seen.

Photo: ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
Village on the lake

This lake landscape with a small village overlooking the water was made with the commesso fiorentino technique. The lake is made of onyx, the mountains of lapis lazuli and the sky of afyon marble.

Photo: ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
Freedom

In this frame, a Volterra agate boat, with sails of labradorite and sodalite, sails on a sea of lapis lazuli, under an onyx sky. The artwork is made with the commesso fiorentino technique.

Photo: ©Ruth Miriam Carmeli
The Sankaty Head Lighthouse in Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

This piece is an artwork commissioned by the son of a couple who swore eternal love in front of the Sankaty lighthouse. Created with the commesso fiorentino technique, the piece is made of white chalcedony from Volterra and red chalcedony from the Pyrenees for the lighthouse, lapis lazuli for the ocean, green of Sweden and yellow chalcedony for the meadow and daffodils.

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