Francesco & Giuseppe Lo Gioco

Crisa La Carta a Mano

Papermaker

©Cartiera Crisa

Together from pulp to sheet

The Lo Gioco brothers create handmade paper in Sicily
The method they use was developed in Fabriano in the 1200s
They specialise in custom-made paper sheets and watermarks

Being identical twins, Giuseppe and Francesco Lo Gioco have always been bound by a relationship that transcends ordinary brotherhood. Their joint venture into the world of craftsmanship began in 2020, while they were both studying Art History at the University of Florence. “We knew that we wanted to become papermakers and watermarkers the very first time we saw a sheet of paper being made by hand. The following year, we attended a workshop in Florence, and then an intensive two-month course in Fabriano, the cradle of European papermaking. This is where we were trained by the best master artisans in the techniques and skills of papermaking, and learned how to manage all the production phases of an artisanal paper mill.” In 2023, Francesco and Giuseppe launched their startup, which they called Crisa La Carta a Mano.

Interview

©Cartiera Crisa

©Cartiera Crisa

How did you choose the name for your paper mill?: Crisa is the ancient divinity of the river that flows nearby Leonforte, the town where we live. And since water is essential to the production of paper as much as it is to life itself, we named our atelier after this goddess of fertility and abundance.
Why did you decide to embark on this entrepreneurial journey?: Papermaking is a real passion for us, and we both wanted to pursue a project linked to a historical craft that fewer and fewer people practise. At the same time, we wished to contribute actively to Italian savoir-faire.
What inspires your creations?: We are very much inspired by the purity of nature and the beauty of Sicilian landscapes, which fill our eyes every day. For us, beauty dwells in simple things, such as the natural white of handmade paper.
Have you introduced any innovations to your craft?: By incorporating waste materials into the cotton pulp, we decorate our paper in a sustainable manner, favouring a circular economy. For example, we mix the paper pulp with almond and chestnut husks, coffee grounds, denim yarn and the yellow flowers of local broom shrubs.

Francesco & Giuseppe Lo Gioco are rising stars: they began their career in 2022