Fabulous Fabriano Part X - The Finale!

Please note:  There is an issue with the old button that links to "It's a String Thing"(located in the right hand column).  The website that I originally uploaded the image to has overridden my own photograph with their ad.  If you uploaded the original button to your blog, please delete it.  The updated image and new code should work.  Thank you and I apologize for any inconvenience.

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts just in case you are new to this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX)

I appreciate round numbers and because of that I will end our time in Fabriano, Italy, with just one more post.  The tenth (X) in the series, this number also coincides with the number of the CZT Seminar that I attended.  It was meant to be...

The Fabriano Paper Company, according to its website, has eight boutiques located throughout Italy and another six scattered across Europe.

On our pilgrimage to Fabriano, my husband and I were able to visit three of them and the museum's shop as well.

The following photographs serve two purposes:  first, to prove that the experience was real and not the dream it feels like now, and second, to give you a glimpse of the shops and hopefully spark an interest in your own visit someday.

The city of Florence was our initial destination.  On our first full day we took a lovely walking tour of the city which included stops to view the museum that housed Michelangelo's David (Dah-vid as our tour guide called him) and the Uffizi Gallery - both full of breathtaking sites.

Tired, yet still determined to find the Fabriano Boutique, we walked even further to find it - and we did!

Nestled along a bustling street of mostly foot traffic, it was a beautifully appointed store.
This was the first gift I purchased.  The wrapping was as impressive as the tablet it enclosed.

Rome was our final stop.  The night before the end of our trip, my husband did an incredible job of navigating our rental car through the streets of the city to find the Fabriano Boutique.

Along the sidewalk leading up to the front door, a neighboring cafe's tables were set for dinner.  It was a lovely site.

I was just a bit excited to be there!

The red walls of the Rome boutique made quite an impression.  I finished up the last of my shopping there - no small task as I would have purchased the entire store if I were able.

I bought the colorful guest book pictured above on the top shelf.  It was a limited edition made in celebration of the company's 750 anniversary in 2014.

My friend and fellow CZT Dorian Eng brought one home from her trip to Rome just a few weeks earlier, so I knew to look for it.   I am indebted to her for that - and for the idea of leaving behind tangled gifts, as I mentioned in Part III.

I honestly did not have enough suitcase room to bring back all of the niceties that I hoped to buy, so it took some time to whittle down my choices.

When at last I piled my goods onto the counter and the smiling clerk rung up the sale, I pulled from my purse a little Bijou tile.  (On our way to the store, I tangled a quick thank you in anticipation of the exchange.)

To my surprise, when the clerk looked at it, she let out a little squeal of excitement.
"Ahh, Zentangle!" she exclaimed in her melodic Italian accent.

She left the counter, hurried across the store, and from a shelf lined with wonderfully colorful things...

 ...she produced a zendala box that I immediately recognized as Dorian's.

We both laughed and hugged and relished the connection.  She remembered Dorian and her recent visit and treasured the memory of their time along with Dorian's gift.

We posed for this photograph as she held my tile and I held Dorian's box ~

What a presence we felt, what a connection we made - across the miles, the friendships, through Zentangle®, through Fabriano.

I could never have imagined the wonders of that entire experience, I just remain grateful for them all.

The next morning, as Lou and I were walking briskly through the airport in Rome to catch our flight back home, one more treat greeted us:  a Fabriano Boutique in the terminal!

Being the patient man that he is, Lou humored me and took this photograph ~

Crunched for time, we resumed our rush to the gate.  It wasn't until much later that I realized that a quick history of Fabriano paper is located on the panel to the left.

To think that this pilgrimage began with a dream sparked at CZT Seminar 10, when I first learned that our tiles were made of Fabriano paper.  Along with all things Zentangle®, I developed an appreciation of it that has only grown fonder for our time and experiences in Italy.
I remain one very grateful tangler and wish you happy travels and dreams come true of your own!

Fabulous Fabriano Part IX

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts just in case you are just joining this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII)

Along with the wire watermark procedure that was demonstrated in our tour of the museum (pictured above), we also learned of an intriguing process invented in the mid-1800's.  This, as we were informed, is so specialized that only two people in the world practice the art:  Franco Librari and his daughter Annarita, both of Fabriano, Italy.

This watermarking process is better explained on the museum's website - click here for the link - but basically it begins with the detailed and painstaking process of carving an intricate design into wax.   These carvings can take years to create.   From this wax, metal dies are cast and used to imprint the watermark onto paper.

Throughout the Paper and Watermark Museum, examples of these exquisite wax carvings are on display.  Here are just two that I photographed ~

You may recognize these faces...

In most every room of the second level, back lit sheets of paper revealed their treasures.  Here are a few that I captured ~

Not ancient by the Fabriano Paper Company's standard, but my mine, this c.1700's eagle was imprsessive.

My good friend's Katie's last name is Graham, so I photographed this one -

I found this one interesting, along with the first two, because Fabriano was doing business with companies in the United States from a very early time in our nation's history.

This Santa was gloriously detailed...

along with the beloved saint...

The gift shop walls were framed with back lit spaces displaying sheets of paper with these elegant watermarks.  You can see them in the background of this photo of me holding a guest book ~

It was difficult to leave, but our visit to the Fabriano Paper and Watermark Museum, like all good things, had to come to an end.  It was a blessing to realize my dream of being there, getting the chance to add my signature to the guest book, and to purchase some very scrumptious paper.

Once again, our clerk helped us in pointing out that the site of the original factory as well as the   actual factory, were both within a mile of where we were at the museum.  How could we leave this fair city with out seeing both?

Fortunately, on our way out of town, we located the spot of the original factory...

and where the current one is located...

Fabriano, Italy

Both, just as we were told, were within a mile of the current museum.

In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that our trip to Fabriano would have turned out so marvelously  well.  Lou and I were fortunate in so many ways - from the timing of our encounters, to the people we met, to the experiences shared.

Looking back, I experienced a lifetime of memories in less than twenty-four hours - truly remarkable. It has taken nine posts to convey a glimpse of these dreams come true.  My hope is that our trip inspires you to believe in your tangled dreams, whatever they may be.

Arrivederci, dear Fabriano!

Fabulous Fabriano Part VIII

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts, just in case you are just joining this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII)

My husband, Lou, and I returned from lunch with tangled gift in hand for our museum tour guide from the morning, Claudia.  We walked through the museum's entrance, again through the gift shop, and this time we were greeted with a crowd of eager shoppers.  Claudia was nowhere in sight.  

We inquired of the jovial, English speaking clerk who had given us the excellent cafe referral, if Claudia was available.  He explained that she was giving a tour and that we could find her upstairs.  "Just look for her in one of the rooms," he said.

Feeling very timid, I thought to just leave my gift, complete my shopping, and slip out.  Upon Lou's urging, I agreed to brave the now crowded upstairs and look for Claudia.   

We found her giving a tour to a group of about fifty eager subjects - in Italian.  She was animated and in full tour guide mode.  We waited in the hallway as the group left one room and entered another.

Claudia was so intensely attentive to her group, that she walked right passed us, still explaining something, that we were much to hesitant to interrupt her.   We stood aside as she lead her tour group to the next room.

A bit dejected, I suggested to Lou that we stick with the original plan and just leave the gift for her in the office.  

"After all," I said, "we still have shopping to do."

One step back into the crowded gift shop, and from behind the register, the kind gentleman with the booming voice and thick accent asked if we met up with Claudia.  

"No," I said, "she was very busy."

He repeatedly brushed his hand back and forth in the air as if to say "Nonsense!"  

"Just wait in the hallway until she finishes in one room and moves to the next, she will be happy to see you," he exclaimed, still waving his hand.  

He said it in such a commanding way that we had no choice but to go.  And go we did!  Back up the steps to the hallways, peering in the doors until we spotted Claudia and her group again.  

This time, she was finishing up in the last of the tour rooms.  We waited until she closed her presentation, answered a few questions, and began to direct her charges down the stairs. 

Finally, finally we made eye contact and her face lit up as she recognized us.  I handed her my little gift and explained that the frame was one of my own that I designed and had made in Orlando and that my artwork was completed on a watermarked tile.  (Earlier that morning when we had our own tour with Claudia, we discussed Zentangle® so she was already familiar with it.)

She excitedly unwrapped the frame, loosened the zendala from the magnet, and immediately held it up to the window to observe the watermark.  "Ah!" she said approvingly.  

Much like my gift exchange with Mario at Marche del Grillo, this moment had an immediate and forever feel to it, one that embodied all of the goodness of Zentangle, and kindness and gratitude, along with the joy of a shared passion.  Absolutely magical.

And very quick!  Lou snapped this one photo before Claudia was pulled away by a member of her tour group.  

Left with our heads spinning just a bit from our brief and wonderful reunion with Claudia, there remained one last thing on my wish list - the purchase of paper.   We found our way back down the steps and into the gift shop, victorious for having met up with her.

There were a handful of people ahead of me in line and it afforded me some time to consult my list of what I intended to buy and just how much would fit into my suitcase - very much a study in contrasts! 

Off to one side of the room were large drawers that housed sheets of gorgeous paper.  Other patrons were purchasing them and were left to figure out how to take them home.  One woman asked for tape, and walked across the entry hall to a display room table, and rolled up her own precious cargo.  

Little room in my suitcase, and many more miles of travel in Italy, discounted that possibility for me.

I turned my attention to the shelves on the wall on the opposite side of the room.  They held small, colorfully covered, handmade books made of the most beautiful deckle edged paper.  

Book purchased from the Paper and Watermark Museum, Fabriano, Italy
~Adele Bruno, CZT

Checking my list, like Santa at Christmas, I began to pile the books up on the counter.  The jovial clerk offered to check the stock and brought out even more.  When I informed him that I was taking these gifts back to Florida, to my friends and students, he held up his right index finger as if to say, "Then I have just the thing!"

From under the counter, he opened a drawer and produced glorious red envelopes of the same hand pressed paper.  He demonstrated by taking one of the books, inserting it into a scarlet envelope, and then into a brown paper bag marked with the museums information.  

"There!" he said.  "I will give you an envelope and bag for each!"

A few of my purchases, complete with envelopes and bags...

Again, that flood of unexpected joy filled my heart and all I could do was smile and say thank you - repeatedly.

He placed my treasures into one larger shopping bag and sent us on our way.  

To be continued...

Fabulous Fabriano Part VII

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts, just in case you are just joining this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI)

We exited the second floor of the museum down a side staircase, walked back along the courtyard, and into the gift shop.  This time, it was packed with eager shoppers.  So many in fact, that we decided to make our purchases when the museum re-opened after lunch.  

It was baffling, still, for us to imagine that this now crowded space was the vary same gift shop that we entered just a few hours earlier, when we were greeted and ushered into a movie viewing room all to ourselves.

Upon the advice of the gift shop's cashier (a younger, very personable, English speaking gentleman), we left the building and headed for a cafe located in a piazza around the backside of the museum.  On the way, as I mentioned in Part VI, we stopped by the car to pick up my tangling supplies as I wanted to make a gift for our tour guide, Claudia.

Our car was parked on the east side of the museum, this street was on the north side:

It opened up onto a quaint cobble stone piazza with a pretty, central fountain (to the left in the photo below) and straight ahead was the corner cafe.  

The cafe was packed.  Many of the patrons wore name tags that identified themselves as the featured watercolor artists (from all over the world) whose work was currently on exhibit at the Paper and Watermark Museum.  Their beautiful pieces were on display in the hallways of the second floor.   So much excitement in so many different languages - it was invigorating.  But there was a line to get a table, and nowhere to sit to wait.

Standing where I took the photo above, this was our view to the left ~

And the museum was to our right...

...the evidence of the once Benedictine monastery in full view.

Just beyond the corner of the building, I noticed a small ledge at the base of an iron fence.   Lou stayed in line for a table and, in search for a quieter spot, I perched myself on the far end of the curb and began tangling.

From this vantage point, I was catercorner from the cafe, in view of Lou when he waved that a table was open for us.  Lou took this picture from where he stood ~

A note here about yet another magical event in this journey.   When I was packing my art supplies for the trip, I opened a bulk pack of zendalas that I had ordered last month from Zentangle®.  To my complete surprise, the top four tiles were watermarked.

That was a first.  In the years that I have ordered and tangled on zendalas, not once have I used, or even seen a watermarked tile.

The standard 3.5" square tiles used in CZT seminars and at zenAgain carry the watermark - a special treat from Rick and Maria.  One CZT told me that one in forty of those tiles are watermarked, as tiles are cut from larger sheets of the Fabriano paper.

When I pulled those watermarked zendalas from the box, I could hardly believe my eyes.  It prompted me to grab one of my Tickled to Tangle frames and stash it in my suitcase, knowing that it would come in handy to display one of these treasured tiles.

Fast forward to Fabriano, and here I was, sitting on a stone ledge, outside of the Paper and Watermark Museum, and now tangling on one of those watermarked zendalas.  Claudia, I was certain, would appreciate the gift of it.

I finished the tile after we enjoyed a delicious lunch - and because we were in Italy - a lovely glass of wine. Yum!

I love how tangles capture moods and moments and this one fit both just right.  My tangle Uncorked sprung from the middle and I embellished it with Zinger and Ahh.

I spread my scarf on the edge of the table, placed my zendala on it and took this photo~

And this one of the back ~

The watermark is visible to the top left.  One little Ann (my first and very sentimental tangle) graced the back.  With so much to be thankful for, I added "Grazie".  When I wrote that bottom line, my eyes stung with tears and I must confess, they still do when I read it.

I mounted the tile on my frame, re-wrapped it, and we headed back to the museum with two goals:  to thank Claudia with this gift, and to purchase paper from the gift shop.

At the Paper and Watermark Museum's front door,
holding my framed, watermarked zendala
in Fabriano, Italy

To be continued...

Fabulous Fabriano Part VI

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts, just in case you are just joining this journey:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V)

After writing Part V of our Paper Pilgrimage to Fabriano, Italy, I sent a few clarifying questions to our museum tour guide, Claudia.  She graciously provided the following information:

Hydraulic hammer mill, Fabriano Paper and Watermark Museum

 The hydraulic hammer mill (pictured above) is a machine of the thirteenth century.  It was always moved by the water of the river, not electric current as this one is today.

Fabriano Paper and Watermark Museum

The invention of the animal gelatin coating for paper dates back to the thirteenth century.  In the medieval time, only a copper basin was used to hold the [coating] liquid (pictured above).
Today, in the modern flat table machine, there is a part called 'Size-press' where the sheet is coated.
Today chemical substances, like PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), are used to coat the paper in the modern factory.

Thank you, Claudia!

This map, framed and hanging on the museum wall, shows the fascinating history of paper at a glance:

Timeline marking the invention and history of paper making - Poster at the
Fabriano Paper and Watermark Museum, Italy

After our personal tour that day, Claudia suggested that we walk upstairs to view more of the museum.  The facility was closing in just a few minutes for the lunch hours, but we could "take a look around" she said.  

We were pleasantly surprised to see people milling around, taking in the sights.  Where they were before, we could not imagine.  

There were long hallways with rooms on either side.   Each room held treasures all their own...

Ancient screens with intricate watermarks...

And displays of the tools and wire used to make them...

This bicycle, once used to collect rags for paper making, was propped up in a hallway.

We quickly realized that there were too many details and much too much information to take in the few remaining minutes before closing time.  We decided to scan the hallways and a few of the rooms as we followed the square layout of the second floor.  

Along one section were doors just my size.

This looks like a standard sized door, doesn't it?

Until you consider that I am all of five foot tall.  I felt so at home.

We decided to have a bit of lunch and return afterward to shop and tour a bit more.  

With my friend Dorian's suggestion in mind to leave a gift behind, we stopped by the car to pick up my tangling supplies so that I could make something for Claudia during our lunch break.

To be continued...

Fabulous Fabriano Part V

Our trip to Fabriano, Italy, continues...

(Here are the links to past posts, just in case you missed them:  Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV)

My husband Lou and I were left to wander the rooms of the Fabriano Paper and Watermark Museum and survey the ancient paper making devices...

Hammermill

Wooden paper drying rack
I was mesmerized by this device.
The little 'L-shaped' feet pushed upward, the paper inserted, and then
the feet returned to position and gently held the paper to dry.

...when we heard someone calling out to us in English.  English!  It was music to our ears.

We turned to be welcomed by the most hospitable museum guide.  "I speak English!", she exclaimed in a delightfully thick Italian accent. The older gentleman, who earlier had shown us to the theater room, had sent her to us.  Claudia (pronounced "Kah loud ee-ah") was energetic, extremely knowledgeable, and eager to share her love for the museum with us.

As IAST friend, Ragged Ray, once said, there is a never ending joy in a shared passion.

We were able to tell Claudia about our 'Paper Pilgrimage' and quickly connected through our mutual love for Fabriano.

The next precious thirty minutes with Claudia (we would soon learn just how precious it was to have this private time) was filled with joy.  She gave just the two of us a tour as if she was leading scores of tourists through the history of paper making.

We were thrust so swiftly into this wonderful world of her devotion and expertise, that we were slow to produce our cameras and click away.  Fortunately Lou was more prepared and captured some gems.

Claudia explained that the invention of the hammermill in the 1200's, along with a special coating process, transformed the paper making industry.  

A hammermill (like the one pictured below) is rigged with long wooden arms(hammers), each equipped with a blade on the end to pulverize the cotton rags used to make paper.  Formerly, this was all done by hand. 

"When first built centuries ago, this hammermill was hand cranked," she said. "Today, it is run by an electric motor." 

As Claudia was finishing her sentence, she walked around the huge device and flipped a switch.

Fortunately I had just taken my phone out and was able to capture just a bit on video ~

It rattled and roared, the weight of those long arms shook the floor.  Like the children of C.S. Lewis' novels, who first stepped into Narnia, the wonder of it all engulfed me.  I could picture people of long ago dedicating their lives to the development and creation the finest paper.  I appreciated all the more the developments over the centuries that brought all of that history, and all of that expertise to me - to all of us - who use Fabriano paper today.

Onto an adjoining room, Claudia brought us to an even larger and longer contraption that was used to coat the freshly dried paper.
This process, along with the invention of the watermark, catapulted paper to the forefront of usefulness and placed it on par with parchment.
The special coating is made from animal products, not used in consumption, that are boiled and blended with (among other things) water.
The large vat in the middle of the machine holds the liquid.

Sheets of paper are inserted between two pieces of felt (left), through the liquid, pressed through rollers, and pushed out the other side.

The special liquid coating used to be made in Fabriano, but is now made in the northern region of Italy and shipped to the factory.  When it was produced here, it was prepared in a pot over a fire pit like this one ~

Claudia directed our attention to a large vat in the very same room, off to the right side.  She began to explain that the vat was filled with water soaked fibers, and as if on cue, out from behind a curtain, a gentleman came forward and began dipping a tray into the tub.

A master craftsman, deftly, silently creating paper in front of us.
It all happened in an instant - so much to take in - but I do remember Claudia saying, "The superior quality is in the movement of the hands of the paper maker."  We were in awe.

He rolled the contents of the tray onto a felt pad.  Notice the rounded top of the wooden table.

Then he picked up the felt and piled it onto previous pieces, this time onto a flat topped table.

Claudia picked up the top felt pad to show us what the freshly produced paper looked like.

She explained that once the corners were removed and the paper folded, it would become an envelope.

Then she showed us the exact screen that the master used in his demonstration.

And therein lies the wonder and magic and genius of watermarking.  

These handmade screens consist of a wooden frame, intricately woven wire screens, and wire images and lettering.  When a paper making master fills this frame with the water soaked fibers, the imprint is embedded in the freshly produced paper.  Who knew?  I was enamored. 

Claudia was gracious to let me touch it - I just had to!

Would you believe that this particular screen was being used to create envelopes for a calligraphy guild in the United States?  When Claudia told us that I was so astonished that  I asked her repeat it. Here we were standing in Fabriano, Italy,  witnessing envelopes being made by a master paper maker for a guild in the United States - a very small world indeed.

The room was filled with even more treasures - piles and piles of the most beautiful paper.  It was difficult to keep my hands to myself.  This paper, Claudia explained, was made with the addition of artichokes.

A timeworn press...

Gobs of deckle edged paper...

Large rocks served to keep the paper pressed flat...

I would have taken this whole table home, if I could have.

Claudia glanced at her watch and informed us that the museum would be closing soon for the lunch hours.  She suggested that we take a few minutes to go upstairs to see more displays.  She was excited to tell us that an international watercolor artist's show was on display and that artists from all over the world were in town. 

In the quiet of our alone time in the museum that morning, it was amusing to take in that information. Where was everyone?

We ascended the steps to the upper level of the museum and lo and behold, there were people - and even more wonders to absorb.  

To be continued...