THE PRODUCTION OF VENETIAN varnishes IN SPILIMBERGO: WORKING PHASES

Mosaic is a decorative technique that is rooted in centuries of history, dating back to 3,000 BC with the Sumerians, but also appreciated by the Egyptians and the Greeks and widely used by the Romans. The tradition was continued by the Byzantines, of which we still imitate its colours and whose characteristic is the porosity of its varnish, which we reproduce by adding silica. The most requested Byzantine colours are "copo" red and "Galla Placidia" blue, which are included in the backgrounds of the decorations of the vault of the Mausoleum that the empress Galla Placidia built for herself and her husband Costanzo II in Ravenna. Initially, the tiles were made from stone slabs to then leave room for vitreous pastes and precious metals.

Here in Spilimbergo, we continue the tradition started by our grandfather Ugo Donà in Murano and still use our old equipment, such as the press, but have modernized and made it easier to use with the addition of compressed air. Our ovens are made of handcrafted refractory bricks according to ancient Murano tradition.

Even our crucibles are handmade in Murano.