Cover Photo: Courtesy of Pierotucci

Mosaic Designs: Journey To the Heart of Tuscany

Journey to the heart of Tuscany is actually the first article I dedicate to this region of artistic legacy, art renaissance, charming architecture and hidden corners. Tuscany is also believed to be one of the world’s most important centers for mosaic art.

Today’s article examines the significance of mosaic art as one of the most inspiring art forms in Tuscany and contemplating its evolution throughout the city.

Tuscany: A brief history of Mosaic Art

The early 14^th century was indeed an exorbitant period in European Architecture. As Italian architects learned advanced construction techniques, the preceding standpoint of European construction began to change. Early skyscrapers-like buildings and tall towers began to emerge in the city, with colossal compositions that were often supported with columns and ornamented with brilliant ironwork. From the moment that these buildings started to appear, Tuscany has also witnessed a new wave of mosaic flooring construction.

Mosaic Art in Tuscany Today

In the 19th century, the birth of modern mosaic art took place. This new wave of mosaic flooring construction has continued to become as popular today as it has ever been.

Nowadays, mosaic art unfolds from a vast array of mediums and methods. Just as interior designers use trend and style to create designs that are aesthetically agreeable so are the 21^st-century mosaicists drawing inspiration and metaphors from the current social issues and art movements today. They often experiment with innovative ideas, as they incorporate the art form in Tuscan Furniture, walls, pools as well as backyards, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Must Visit In Tuscany: Opificio Delle Pietre Dure

The Tuscan production has been known as a prolific and influential experience for the spectator. Today, it is represented by exceptional paradigms preserved mostly in Florentine museums, institutes, and fortresses.

Established at the end of the 19^th century, Opificio Delle Pietra Dure is indeed a must-visit autonomous institute for all mosaic aficionados! This small museum is the only institution that brings under one roof a numerous number of Florentine mosaics, ranging from portraits to abstract themes and from architectural perspective to natural perceptions. The trademark, which has been persisting to survive the arrogance of the laboratory for centuries, consists of an ingenious mosaic technique that used natural colors and precious stones, cut in sections and matched to form larger images.“The stone painting” was the expression chosen by its inventors as a term to define these Florentine Pietra-dura mosaics.

The museum also offers a prospect of fully appreciating this reminiscent chapter of the Tuscan history.

Tuscany has a deep impact and inventive significance for mosaic designers, and it continues to inspire a wide range of creative, figurative and artistic responses, many of which is explored throughout the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure, in Florence. Many appreciate the overall splendor of this city, but only those who have seen the Florentine mosaics have come to experience all aspects of the Tuscan spell!

Photos Credits: Walks Inside Florence

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You may also want to read: A closer look at some of Pietra dura’s most iconic designs or Archaeological Museum Of Patras: Mosaic Art Muse!

If you want to read more articles about the mosaics in Italy, remember to let me know in the comment box below!