This Home is Made in Italy

"The heart and soul of Venetian glassmaking lights-up Violino d’Oro."

The furnace of Venini is a symbol of the wanders of Venetian glassmaking. It tells a story of beauty and artisanship and during the course of the 20th century, through its collections and masterpieces, it has portrayed the everchanging styles of Italian design. 
  It is 1958 when the Poliedri, the iconic chandelier designed by Gardella, Paolo Venini and Vignelli, triumphs at the Brussels Expo, in the center of the Italian pavilion. Since then, its infinitely glittering appearance of polyhedrons continues to fascinate the beholder. Three large Poliedri chandeliers made of dark green and transparent polyhedral glass elements light up the entrance of Violino d’Oro. We have chosen a work of art that is a symbol of modern creativity and excellence in Venetian craftsmanship. Our custom-made poliedri shine and are not easy to miss!

"Walking on generations of artistic mastery."

The flooring of Violino d’Oro tells a magical story of Venetian savoir faire passed on through generations. A story that begins in 1927 when the Asin family registers at the Artisianship Chamber of Venice. To date, they are one of the oldest families in Venice still laying seminato flooring by hand. The flooring is created by a mixture of marble pebbles and cement, on which the decorations are designed by hand-posing one marble bit at a time. The marble was curated and selected from the quarries of Carrara in shades of white and dark green and then transported to Venice to be worked on by Erminio Asin. The elaborate decorations on the floors of il Piccolo Restaurant have been hand made in the laboratory by Erminio himself, counting over two hours of work for each piece, and then placed on the floor in loco. “Take a walk” on illustrious venetian craftsmanship.

"Some design pieces are destined to become icons."

And Italy has seen a lot of that happening during the course of the twentieth century. A shape, an outline, a form of aesthetic that is imprinted in the visual memory of its beholders and is passed on and recognized through decades and centuries. When objects such as these sit in a room, they tell a story, they carry a social era with them, together with the tale of the hands that created them.
Designed by Gae Aulenti in 1965 for the Olivetti shops in Paris and Buenos Aires, the Pipistrello lamp is an exceptional element of design with a timeless soul. Ours are in brushed bronze, you can read by their light in the living room next to the water entrance, by the fireplace, a watch the gondoliers pass by.

"Violino’s textiles celebrate the wonders of heritage, imagination and creativity."

In 1781 Giovanni Paolo Rubelli is admitted to the Arte dei Mercanti della Seta in Venice, with his own shop. It is the beginning of a centuries-lasting love story between Venetian fabrics and the world. From sofas to pillows, from headboards to curtains, 100 % of the fabrics at Violino d’Oro are woven in Venice by the hands of the expert artisans of Rubelli. Traditional velvets are combined with time-honored Venetian broccati and, most and foremost, with the oneiric encounter between Rubelli’s t heritage and the magical fantasy world of Luke Edward Hall. The result is a blend of innovation and tradition, representing the glory of what Venice has been and the beauty of what it is today.

"We have dreamed all of our furniture, we imagined it, fantasized about every detail and then each piece was made in Tuscany, by the expert hands of artisans."

Marioni is a family story: born in Florence in 1966 from the intuition of its founder Paolo Marioni, it is run today by the third generation. Starting from the ceramic material, the company has gradually developed lines of furnishing accessories for the home, with particular attention to color and excellence in manual skills of execution. After Paolo's early death in 1992, his son Simone has taken over the leads of the company and is accompanied today by his eldest daughter, Vittoria. Check out their coffee tables, lamps and dining tables inside Violino d’Oro - a Florentine craftsman has meticulously made them for you. We spent countless hours researching the best combinations of colors and materials together with them, no detail has been left to chance.

"Magical dining at il Piccolo and il Piccolo Bar, where cups and plates are the expression of the proper know-how of Florentine ceramics"

In 1735 Marquis Carlo Andrea Ginori launches a porcelain factory in Florence which is destined to become a worldwide icon of style. For over nearly 300 years, the company has established a legacy of enduring design, with its exquisite handmade tableware coveted all over the world. The striking beauty and craftsmanship associated with Richard Ginori porcelains are hallmarks of the distinguished Italian manufacturer's deep heritage. Tradition and manufacturing excellence intertwine with timeless beauty.
Discover the magic of the Arcadia collection at our restaurant, il Piccolo. A magical space where walls are decorated with ancient oriental blooming woods.

"We imagined peach blossoms and Assia made them come to life"

Raised by a family of artists and home decor lovers, her passion for interior and painting brings her to Bruxelles where she studies decorative arts at the prestigious Van Der Kelen Logelaine Painting School. Her paintings are strongly influenced by nature, its colors and landscapes, particularly the ones from her beloved Tuscany where her studio is now based. "My idea of a perfect home is a secret garden", she says. We were familiar with Assia’s curious and unique work, we brainstormed ideas, she painted sketches and they immediately felt relatable to Violino d’Oro’s story and easthetics. Her wall paintings makes a visit to the powder room at Violino an entirely different art experience.

"Wondering where are golden Violins come from?"

Tornabuoni Art was founded in 1981 in Via Tornabuoni, Florence, thanks to Roberto Casamonti’s passion for art, an interest inherited from his father who was a collector of 20th century Italian art. Over the years the gallery – in addition to its head office in Florence – has opened exhibition venues in Milan, Forte dei Marmi, Rome, Crans Montana, Paris, and London. Alongside the annual exhibition that takes place in the Italian galleries, Tornabuoni Art is involved in organizing solo exhibitions focused on historical and emerging artists, as well as thematic exhibitions on the avant-garde of the Post-War period. Today the gallery continues his research and in-depth study in the scenario of 20th century art as well as looking for new contributions coming from contemporary artists. Our go to place for unknown treasures and great masterpieces.

"The laboratory in the center of Florence looks like it has come out of a fairytale by Carlo Collodi."

Their story begins in 1903, when Giovanni Baccani opens a shop in the center of Florence. As an art enthusiast, he proposes typical artefacts from the best Florentine craft tradition, particularly gilded wood objects made with the same techniques as those employed by ancient craftsmen. Now at the fourth generation, the shop still preserves the original furniture made in 1903, with its Renaissance style “boiserie” decorated by exhilarating Latin mottos inscribed with gold characters. Giovanni Baccani, the grandson of the founder, and his son Lorenzo, still craft today wonderful frames and wooden objects with the same, traditional, ancient techniques. Spot many of the golden frames and green and gold bins around the rooms, they are handmade in Florence.

"Our Amerigo coffee tables in brushed brass are perfect to hold a sumptuous silver breakfast tray."

A manufacturing family story that has created some of the most iconic design pieces of the past century. Giorgio Cattelan founds the company in 1979, he is the youngest of seven brothers and carries in his heart the scent of wood, which he breathed as a child in his father’s workshop. Over the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, Cattelan gives birth to some of the most celebrated and skillful furniture in Italy. Our Amerigo coffee tables, designed by Giorgio Cattelan in 2019, consist of two simple overlapping shapes, placed side by side in varying heights and sizes. You can spot the layered tables in brushed brass in many of the rooms at Violino d’Oro, they’re yours to enjoy breakfast, tea, or your first Select Spritz on the lagoon.

"Vibrant shades of colorful crystals, designed by Margherita in Impruneta, Florence, shine on our libraries between one book and another."

Studio Bojola is an Italian design studio, collaborating with companies in a wide range of areas, from object design to interiors - using various techniques, methods and materials. Experimentation with pure material form is at the heart of their vision, in a constant collaboration with local artisanal realities. After a lifetime of passion dedicated by founder Luca Bojola to interior design projects, his daughter Margherita has now taken a decisive step in the family business. She has fallen in love with the beauty of crystals and we have fallen in love with her crystal vases. Her hand-blown crystals recall archive shapes, that are given a new life in the most extraordinary colors. You can find them in various shades, in the good company of books, laying around our libraries.

"Wooden excellence made in Venice."

Lunardelli Venezia stems from Lunardelli est. 1967, a historical company specializing in woodworking for highly customized construction and furnishing projects. A man of humble beginnings who started working at a very young age, Angelo Lunardelli developed his extensive experience in buildings of great historical value, winning over clients at the heart of Venice and even abroad. His work ethic and boldness allowed him to face any challenge, and now live on in the work of his son and daughter.
Every time you open a window at Violino d’oro, to watch gondoliers cruising on the rio, or the mysterious life in Venetian alleys, remember that that window has been crafted in Venice for you by Lunardelli. Same goes for all the walk-in wardrobes your clothes are vacationing in.

"A Fortuny piece is everything Venice."

Mariano Fortuny was born in Granada, Spain, in 1871. After his father’s death, his mother moved the family first to Paris, then to Venice. Here, within the city’s quintessential light and history, Fortuny made his faith in the past a source of inspiration and established himself as an astoundingly inventive artist. Start a treasure hunt to find Violino d’Oro and discover our silk Scheherazade chandelier.

"We envisioned an enchanted flower forest on the walls."

Forme in arte is an artistic atelier in Tuscany, specializing in stuccoes, plaster decorations and statues with ancient Italian techniques. Walk around the rooms and take a close look at the plaster decorations: they don’t seem perfectly linear, do they? Well, they were all created and hand-laid. For il Piccolo, our exclusive nine table restaurant decorated with soft Rubelli velvet pillows and Ginori plates, we imagined a magical forest of roses, peonies and cherry blossoms. Paolo crafted them out of plaster and the magic was done. He also added some butterflies.
You can find them all over the walls.

"Sit at the bar on a Cirque stool and enjoy a Spritz."

One of the greatest design factories of the industrial age, featuring wood and cane seating elements that have become timeless design pieces. Some could correctly argue that these beauties are not properly Italian, but Viennese Gebruder Thonet has recently moved their headquarters to the beautiful city of Turin, so Violino d’Oro’s iconic bar stools and armchairs are truly made in Italy.
Our favorite elements are the bar stools in curved lacquered beech, designed by Martino Gamper. We just looked at hem and thought they felt like the perfect seat for you to enjoy your first, real, spritz in Venice.

"Poems and word puzzles in silver and bronze lay amidst the multitude of patterns and fabrics of the eclectic rooms of Violino."

We love young Florentine art dealers. Our friend, Leonardo, is a great one. Together, we enjoyed thinking of what kind of contemporary art we could place in the already quite eclectic rooms of Violino d’Oro. Amidst the multitude of patterns and fabrics, ancient decors and oriental wall coverings, we strived to find the perfect piece of art. Art will always grow and change at Violino d’Oro, but the bronze and silver word puzzles you will spot around many of the rooms are a proud piece of our permanent collection that Leonardo helped us unravel.
Leonardo Marchi was born in Florence in 1988 and was introduced at an early age to the world of modern and contemporary art by his parents, active collectors.

"Poised between the ethereal poetry of art and the dexterity of Italian craftsmanship, architect Allegra Santini loves to mix disciplines and blend her work with creative collaborations."

Inspired by the encounter between the artisanal experience of her long-established family company and modern sensibility in the matter of waste recycling, Allegra has decided to embrace and enhance the value of regenerated marble, making it an expression tool for herself and others. Regenerated marble is Allegra’s response to the sustainable optimization of the use of natural resources. Classical figures from her family’s craftsmanship tradition brought to new life. You can find her gold-dropped statues around our suites. Unique pieces handcrafted in Cecina, Italy.

"The wooden bookshelves of our living rooms are made to measure in the heart of the small medieval village of San Gimignano, in Tuscany"

Paolo is a true craftsman and what you imagine when you envision a Tuscan artisan creating custom made furniture. He has worked with us for many, many years. He loves our architect, Piera Tempesti Benelli, and she loves his work. He is familiar with our special request, uncommon ideas and fixation with details. After so many years and so many things done together, there was no doubt that Paolo and his team were meant to come to Venice with us and start building their custom furniture on the lagoon. They loved it. Enjoying a book in one of our living rooms? Paolo made the bookshelves.

"Our menus are handcrafted with Tuscan leather in a Florentine laboratory, in the heart of the neighborhood of San Frediano."

A story of authentic craftsmanship, made of passion and hard work. Created by Roberto Giannini and his wife Mara, the leather goods workshop is now run by his sons Leonardo and Tommaso and is one of the most exceptional examples of the Florentine leather goods art. Leonardo and Tommaso are also very fun to work with. It was them who proposed that we cover the inner layers of our menus with custom Rubelli wallpaper. And of course we had a blast. Pick your cocktail, but don’t forget to appreciate the menu.

"The magic of natural stones, from the mountains of Carrara, home of Michelangelo’s marble."

Dani Marmi was founded in 1959 as a marble, onyx and granite processing workshop. Family owned and operated, for generations they have been working some of the best marble in the world.
As like many other of the craftsman on this page, Dani Marmi is one of those family run companies we have worked with since the beginning of time. Our hotels in Forte dei Marmi, just underneath their beloved mountains, are full of their marbles, as is the hotel in Florence. Their knowledge of the material is precious, as is their patience in helping us find the perfect shades in the perfect stones.
This time around, what blew our minds where the white doorways with green veining.

"The regal story of our forks and knifes"

That of the goldsmith is an age-old and challenging art that requires skill and precision but above all, love. Based on this premise, Gaetano Broggi, the last heir in a family of artisans who were experts in “gilding and silvering metals”, opened his first workshop in Via dei Mercanti d’Oro in Milan, in 1818.
The fame of his cutlery, flatware and sacred objects in silver reached the royal court of Turin and beyond. During the course of the 20th century, goods designed by Broggi began to be widely used on the most elegant tables throughout Italy. To date, constant research into innovative designs, quality that is “made in Italy” and know-how are still the guarantee of success for the company. Needless to say, this is the story of the forks, knifes and spoons you will be dining with at Violino.

"Art among friends"

Armanda Gori Arte was born in April 1998, founded by Armanda Gori and her husband Aldo Marchi, following the growing passion for contemporary art and the consequent activity of collectors. During its first years of activity, the Gallery was dedicated to organizing various Art Cafés around its first location in Prato, Tuscany. These exhibitions welcomed artists, critics, collectors and also many friends who were starting to get passionate about contemporary art. To date, with its growing panorama of artist and clientele, Armanda Gori Arte preserves that sense of appreciating and sharing art with a wonderful group of friends.