Enna · 3 hours
Restorer for a day: gilding
A hands-on workshop of ancient gilding in the restoration atelier of Master Angelo Scalzo, active for 35 years in Enna.
Angelo Scalzo (La Bottega del Restauro)
Art, culture & archaeology
Handmade paper, the way it used to be made
At the Lo Gioco twins' handmade paper workshop in Leonforte, paper is still made by hand, sheet by sheet, with the method born in Fabriano in the 1200s. And you form your own sheet, with your own hands.
- Leonforte
- On request
The story
Francesco and Giuseppe Lo Gioco are twin brothers from Leonforte. After studying Art History in Florence, they trained in Fabriano, the cradle of European papermaking, alongside master papermakers and watermark makers, then came home to open Crisa: a craft paper workshop where paper is made with nothing but hands, a mould and a great deal of passion.
Here time goes back eight centuries. Cotton, a natural fibre, is worked with water into a pulp; the papermaker dips the mould into the vat and, with the same movements as the papermakers of the 13th century, weaves the fibres together and forms the sheet. The sheet is then laid on a woollen felt, pressed and hung up to dry in the open air, just as it used to be done.
During the visit you follow every stage of the work, and in the workshop you try the papermaker's craft yourself, forming your own sheet of paper by hand. You also discover the watermark, the mark that shows against the light, invented by the papermakers of Fabriano, which Francesco and Giuseppe create to make every sheet unique.
The name comes from Crisa, the ancient deity of the river that flows near Leonforte, today's Dittaino: because paper, like the life of the valley, is born from water.
What you'll experience
- 01
The pulp
Cotton, a natural fibre, is worked with water until it becomes pulp.
- 02
The sheet in the vat
You dip the mould into the vat and, with the same movements as the papermakers of the 1200s, weave the fibres together: the sheet is born.
- 03
Felt and press
The sheet is laid on a woollen felt, then the press squeezes out about half of its water.
- 04
Into the air
Hung up on the drying racks, the sheet dries naturally, as it used to.
- 05
The watermark
The mark that shows against the light, invented by the papermakers of Fabriano: Francesco and Giuseppe create it to make every sheet unique.
What's included: A look at every stage of the work, from forming the sheet in the vat to hanging it up to dry, and a hands-on session: you form your own sheet of paper.
Practical information
- Where
- Leonforte
Days, times, duration and group size are arranged when you send your request: write to us and we'll organise it with your host.
CraftWorkshopsTradition
Your host
Francesco e Giuseppe Lo Gioco (Crisa La Carta a Mano)
Leonforte
Where it is
Leonforte area. The meeting point is arranged when booking.
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