Daniele & Letizia Traversari

A colourful world

• Daniele and Letizia represent the fourth generation to follow the tradition
• They are the only ones in Italy specialised in three different techniques
• Traversari mosaics are sold all over the world

Fratelli Traversari is one of the few studios in Italy that continues a tradition born at the end of the 16th century. Today, siblings Letizia and Daniele are the fourth generation of stone marquetry and mosaic artists in the family. The atelier's history begins in Florence with the founder Arturo, around 1870. At that time, the studio was only a small souvenir shop, already specialised in high quality custom made jewellery, created with the micro mosaic method. Daniele and Letizia own the business now with the help of their cousin Lorenzo, who is particularly skilled in the commesso fiorentino technique, the Florentine mosaic made with hard stones. Together they have brought a modern approach to the ancient craft.

Interview

©Fratelli Traversari

©Fratelli Traversari

What is the commesso fiorentino technique?

Letizia: It is a typical Florentine mosaic made out of hard stones that we personally collect along rivers, in woods and old quarries. We slice the rocks in layers of two millimetres thick, then we glue them together with beeswax. It is a very complex process. We use it especially to design landscapes.

How does micro mosaic differ from this?

Daniele: We melt a glass paste from Murano and pull it to form a long rod shape (like spaghetti). Finally, we cut this into minuscules tiles, as small as 0.2 millimetres thick. This is ideal to make jewellery and small accessories.

What kind of stones do you use?

Letizia: Green jasper, especially to reproduce rivers, onyx for the sky, chalcedony that can be white or yellow-orange, pietra paesina (ruin marble) for the skylines, gabbro for the trees and also lapis lazuli, marble and malachite.

When did you realise this was your passion?

Daniele: We always knew this was our destiny as we did not want to interrupt a 100-year-old legacy. Growing up, my father taught us everything. I studied Law and my sister Economy, but at the end we just wanted to be in our studio, making wonderful mosaics.

Daniele & Letizia Traversari are expert artisans they began their career in 2002

Works

©Fratelli Traversari

©Fratelli Traversari

©Fratelli Traversari

©Fratelli Traversari

©Fratelli Traversari

Where