Art By Al Pisano Blog » Gifts

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence–I sculpted a wall decor doortopper of the bridge

Al Pisano — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:30:48 +0000

Ponte Vecchio Italian wall plaque

I recently finished a Tuscan theme door topper–it is of the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florience Italy. This is part of our Italilan home decor collection and we hope you will enjoy it. It would be a great Italian gift–to give or to receive!
Ponte Vecchio (means Old Bridge) , the oldest of Florence’s six bridges, is one of the city’s best known images.
Built very close to the Roman crossing, the Old Bridge was until 1218 the only bridge across the Arno in Florence. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side. On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood the tremendous weight of water and silt when the Arno once again burst its banks.

When the Medici moved from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, they decided they needed a connecting route from the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the Arno that would enable them to keep out of contact with the people they ruled. The result was the Corridoio Vasariano, built in 1565 by Vasari and which runs above the little goldsmiths’ shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

There have been stores on the Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and later tanners, whose industrial waste caused a pretty rank stench. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers be allowed to have their stores on the bridge. Cellini, a 16th century goldsmith, is honoured with a bust on the bridge. By night, the wooden shutters of the shops make them look like suitcases and wooden chests, making it a very suggestive route to take along an evening passeggiata, or stroll.

The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of 30 meters (98 ft) the two side arches each span 27 meters (88 ft). The rise of the arches is between 3.5 and 4.4 meters (11½ to 14½ feet). It is said that the economic concept of bankruptcy originated here: when a merchant could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the “banco”) was physically broken (“rotto”) by soldiers, and this practice was called “bancorotto” (broken table; possibly it can come from “banca rotta” which means “broken bank”). Not having a table anymore, the merchant was not able to sell anything.
The Ponte Vecchio is one of the most beautiful sights in Florence and a testament to Italian architecture and engineering. I enjoyed sculpting its graceful arches and tiny boxy little shops across the bridge. I hope you will enjoy decorating you Tuscan theme home with this Italian art decor doortopper and hopefully it will bring back memories of your trip to Florence.

Trinacria Symbol

Al Pisano — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:06:43 +0000

I recently sculpted the Trinacria symbo and we are selling it in our webstore. The history of the Trinacria is fascinating! It is the symbol of Sicily. It is composed of the head of Gordon which are woven snakes and wheat ears, surrounded by three legs that are bent up to the knee.

Gorgon was a terrible creature made up of the three daughters of the Gods of the sea (Medusa was the most powerful and famous); with a hair-do of snakes the creature also possessed bronze hands, gold wings and wild boar’s tusks; Gorgon lived at the ends of the earth and could petrify a man with its glance.

The three legs represent the three promontories of Sicily: Cape Peloro,Cape Passero, and Cape Lilibeo.

The head in the center of today’s Triacria was that of Medusa. The Sicilian parliament, which uses the Trinacria as its Flag, replaced the Medusa head with one that is less threatening.

The version proposed for the official banner of Sicily shows the image of a benevolent nature goddess rather than a fearful monster.

In February 2000, after reviewing different options of the banner, the Sicilian Parliament decided to adopt as symbol of the island the design that contains the “Trinacria”, the colors of Sicily (gold and orange) and the name “Regione Siciliana” on top.

I decided to sculpt the Trinacria as it is such an important and identifable symbol for all Sicilians. I hope you will enjoy my artwork and display it on your Sicialian home. We paint the Sicilian plaque in three different colors so you can choose the color most appropriate for your Italian decor.

Hi Folks! I just finished some new Italian pieces!

Al Pisano — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:08:26 +0000

Tutti Tavola - Everyone to the Table to Eat Italian wall plaque

One of the pieces for your kitchen is a decorative spoon. It’s large–about 19 in but can fit in all those narrow little spaces. I carved into it in Italian: A kiss for the cook.

The other Italian plaque I just finished is a beautiful doortopper which you can hang in your kitchen or dining area. This plaque reads (in Italian) Everyone to the Table to Eat! I carved in lots of fruits and vegetables and made it just the righ size to fix above most doorways.

I have a couple more pieces in the works so check back in about a week!

Looking for Great Gifts?

Al Pisano — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:51:16 +0000

The holidays will be here before you know it and while you may have started to decorate, there’s still plenty to accomplish before you can really deck the halls. Take for instance your holiday shopping list. If you’re like most people, chances are that you’ve still got a ways to go on completing it. Not to worry. To help you finish up your holiday shopping – while still getting beautiful gifts – PiazzaPisano.com has a wonderful selection of carved artwork that’s sure to bring a smile to your loved one’s face. Plus, with our selection of gifts, you’ll be able to stock up all in one place – which means you’ll have more time to actually celebrate the holidays, instead of stressing over them!

From Italian kitchen décor to holiday wood carvings, the artwork at PiazzaPisano.com comes in all different shapes, sizes, and types so that you’ll never have to settle on anything less than the perfect gift for someone you love. Plus, with our great prices, you can feel free to complete your holiday shopping list – and get something special for you too!

Start completing you holiday shopping list, but don’t wait – there’s not a whole lot of time left before the holidays are here!