Platimiro Fiorenza

Coral sculptor

©Stanislao Savalli

©Cristina Dione

When coral is part of the family

The Fiorenza family coral workshop originally opened in 1921
Platimiro has triumphed in various competitions
As well as coral, he has dedicated his life to art, restoration and poetry

Sicily is traditionally famed for the exquisite coral creations of the town of Trapani, where Platimiro Fiorenza is a highly appreciated coral sculptor. Born in 1944, Platimiro started working in his father’s workshop at the age of six, and has dedicated his entire life to keeping the centuries-old tradition of coral craftsmanship alive for the future. The value of Platimiro's work was recognised in 2013 when he was named one of Sicily's Living Human Treasures as part of Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage programme. The RossoCorallo project, born in 2012 from an idea by Platimiro’s daughter Rosadea, aims to narrate the artistic tradition of coral craft through his masterpieces.

Interview

©Cristina Dione

You started this craft very young...: Indeed! I was only six when I started working with my father. Between the ages of seven and 12 I trained in the workshop of master sculptor Domenico Li Muli, and after that under master goldsmith Peppino di Marzo. At 20 I was working in Giò Pomodoro's studio in Milan.
What was your first important work?: When I was 14 I received my first commission for the Procession of the Mysteries of Trapani. But I created my most prestigious work in 1993: a Madonna di Trapani in coral, gold and precious stones, currently on display in the Vatican Museums.
Do you follow Trapani’s tradition of coral sculpting?: I work with coral in the way the craft was conceived in the 17th century in Trapani. This means that I create an object from the beginning to the end, from the idea to the execution. I also constantly try to merge all the arts in my craft, including painting, poetry and so on.
What do you love most about your profession?: The family, without doubt! I grew up in my father's workshop and I raised my daughters in my own. The bond that ties my profession to my family is deep-rooted and unbreakable, and that's why I consider my craft to be part of my family.

Platimiro Fiorenza is a master artisan: he began his career in 1951 and he started teaching in 1980