MAKERS | EUROPE | ITALY | WOODWORK
Giovanni Baccani | Gilder
Giovanni Baccani, the shop famous for its deep-blue fabric paneling, was founded in 1903 in the heart of Florence and remains one of the few surviving artisan ateliers where time seems to stand still. An art devotee, Giovanni began by offering objects that represented the finest Florentine craftsmanship — particularly gilded wooden pieces made using age-old artisanal techniques.
Giovanni Baccani's contribution to the promotion of Italian culture worldwide earned him the title of 'Knight of the Italian Republic'. The business passed from father to son, and now to Lorenzo, the founder’s great-grandson, who represents the fourth generation of a lineage that has never strayed far from its origins. Over time, the workshop has expanded its repertoire to include objects inspired by Renaissance and medieval Florence, highlighting the refined artistic details that define both eras.
The shop itself remains much as it was in 1903 — its interior a living testament to a Florentine aesthetic long past. The carved wooden boiserie inscribed with gilded Latin mottos chosen by the founder, offers a sense of quiet permanence: a space where the craftsmanship of a century ago still breathes through the walls.
How did you begin?
Lorenzo: "I’m here because it could not have been otherwise. It is both an obligation and a privilege to preserve a Florence of craftsmanship that is slowly fading. To live within it, and to carry it forward, is a source of deep pride."
How did you learn?
"My father taught me everything. At first, many of his words seemed misplaced; only with time did I grasp their truth. Like him, and my grandfather before him, I learned by watching, listening, and doing. My children, still small, spend long afternoons here, sketching wherever they find a free patch of paper. Without realizing it, they absorb it all — just as I did, helping out as a boy wherever I could."
How do you plan, prepare, and execute your works?
"Since the 1950s, the company has employed four artisan decorators who handle the manual work. We work extensively with tourists, but also have a loyal base of local clients. Running the business means coordinating orders, selecting frames, maintaining client relations, and overseeing shipping — a balance of creativity and organization."
What does a typical day look like?
"All of it happens here, within these walls. The greatest joy is in keeping something alive that is quietly disappearing. The most rewarding part is knowing we’re helping to keep alive a tradition that’s vanishing. Thirty years ago, Florence was full of artisan workshops; today, you can count them on your fingers.
"Modern regulations have made survival difficult for small craftspeople. It saddens me to see Florence in this condition — a city once so devoted to the handmade now too often given over to the temporary. Work once had a soul, and the people who did it were cut from a different cloth."
One more thing... A place that truly inspires you, anywhere in the world?
"The Uffizi Gallery, a place I never tire of visiting. There hangs The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci, a work I hold in profound admiration. No matter how many times I see it, it never ceases to astonish me."
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