ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO – WHERE FLORENTINE HERITAGE, BOTANICAL BEAUTY AND ANTIQUITY MEET
The Art of Making
From 11–13 September, the Giardino Corsini in Florence once again becomes a celebration of Italian craftsmanship with the 32nd edition of Artigianato e Palazzo.
This year’s theme, “Reconnecting with Nature,” brings together 100 artisans and young designers whose work explores the meeting point between tradition, experimentation and the natural world.
From ceramics and textiles to wood, marble and restoration, the exhibition presents craftsmanship not as a relic of the past, but as a living discipline—one in which inherited knowledge becomes the starting point for new ideas.
A Garden in Transformation
Nature extends beyond the theme and into the garden itself.
Young designer Jonathan Bocca presents Linfa. The Philosophy of Wonder, a site-specific installation conceived as an organic form moving through the Palazzo and Giardino Corsini. Made using waste paper, the work creates a contemporary dialogue with the historic setting.
In the Orto delle Monache, Michel Vecchi’s Bosco Sonoro transforms fallen trees into 25 mushroom-shaped sculptures, accompanied by an intimate soundscape experienced through headphones.
Completing the trio is Thòlos, a bamboo pavilion by CanyaLab, constructed during the exhibition as a living demonstration of sustainable architecture and artisanal making.
Tradition, Re-imagined
Across the exhibition, makers demonstrate the extraordinary possibilities of working with material and memory.
USHAK Atelier di Meraviglie transforms buffalo horn sourced from food waste into eyewear; FRii Shirt repurposed antique linens and embroidered trousseaux; Guado Urbino revives natural woad dyeing; and Studio Bojola turns fragments of crystal into jewellery and objects.
Elsewhere, Japanese lacquer techniques are reinterpreted by Kikumi Terada, Carrara marble becomes jewellery at Ha.Ma., and historic weaving, basketry, millinery and umbrella-making are given contemporary expression.
Together, the makers reveal a form of craftsmanship that is deeply rooted in history yet unmistakably of the present.
The Next Generation
The Next Generation section, supported by the Ferragamo Foundation, focuses on five emerging practitioners exploring how tradition can become a catalyst for innovation.
Among them are Eremōns, working between China and Italy with the cultural heritage of Guizhou; Mexican-European artist Kimberly Bárcenas Hernández, whose sgraffito murals unite Mexican and European traditions; ceramicist Lapo Giusti, whose crystalline glazes make chance part of the creative process; restorer Tommaso Maselli; and Tuscan weaver Simone Falli of Ozio Piccolo Studio Tessile.
Their practices differ, but their approach is shared: to honour knowledge by allowing it to evolve.
Craftsmanship with Purpose
Artigianato e Palazzo’s commitment also extends to social inclusion. Through “Craftsmanship That Unites, Craftsmanship That Includes,” organisations including Cooperativa Alice, FLO Concept, Community Garden APS, SolcoLibertas and Associazione Progress demonstrate how craft can create opportunities for training, autonomy and reintegration.
The programme also includes Our Lady of Ceramics: Antonietta Mazzotti Emaldi, presented by Starhotels as part of La Grande Bellezza – The Dream Factory. The celebrated Faenza ceramicist brings together works exploring mythology, femininity, resilience and the enduring relationship between nature and beauty.
The CR Firenze Foundation presents Recreos a Palazzo, highlighting artisans involved in the regeneration of Via Palazzuolo and its ambition to become a new street of craftsmanship in Florence.
More Than an Exhibition
Alongside the installations and makers, the programme includes talks, workshops, demonstrations and the much-loved Family Recipes, curated by Annamaria Tossani. This year’s edition celebrates Albina Lucarelli Becevello, known as Suor Intingola, the historic cook of Gabriele D’Annunzio, through stories, recipes and tastings.
For three days, the Giardino Corsini becomes a place not simply to admire beautiful objects, but to encounter the people, processes and traditions behind them.
That is perhaps the enduring appeal of Artigianato e Palazzo: a belief that the future of craftsmanship lies not in preserving tradition unchanged, but in giving it new life.
Artigianato e Palazzo XXXII
11–13 September 2026
Giardino Corsini, Florence
10am–7.30pm
Minimum donation: €12
Free admission for under-25s.
