Nicola Bagioli

Lavéc

Stone carver

©Lavéc

Preserving the flavours of tradition

Nicola creates hand-carved soapstone cookware
The craft has been handed down in his family for five generations
His fame has spread thanks to social media

“Lavéc” is the typical soapstone cooking pot made in the valley of Valmalenco. Lavéc is also the name that Nicola Bagioli gave to the workshop where he continues a tradition that has been handed down from father to son over five generations. “I chose this ancient craft because it always fascinated me, and I did not want this heritage to be forgotten. Until a few decades ago, there were more than 50 workshops in Valmalenco, while today I am one of the last remaining.” Lavéc pots are carved from lathe-turned soapstone, which is rimmed with copper to increase its sturdiness and hold the handle. Soapstone cookware is traditionally used to prepare local dishes, and today Nicola’s production is growing in demand amongst starred chefs.

Interview

©Lavéc

©Lavéc

What led you to embrace this craft?: I used to be a professional cyclist, but a car hit me while I was training for the Giro d'Italia, and I wasn't sure I would be able to go back to cycling. That’s why, in the summer of 2019, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors.
Who taught you the techniques?: My father, who in turn had learned the skills from my grandfather. As a child, I was fascinated by my father's and grandmother's stories of how lavéc pots were made, but I had never seen the lathe in action. Until I reopened my grandfather's old workroom.
How important is tradition in your work?: It’s fundamental, because it allows me to get in touch with the stone, to know it, to discover it and to work it to the best of my ability. However, I always try to introduce small innovations and more modern shapes in what I do.
What do you love most about your profession?: The fact that each product is unique: it’s impossible to make two identical pieces. Nature surprises me every time with its colours and patterns. Working by hand, each piece is necessarily different from any other.

Nicola Bagioli is a rising star: he began his career in 2019