Puzzle Pieces

Today, Wednesday March 21, my Italian class had another field trip! Most of the other students here are enrolled in some kind of Art history class and often have site visits to museums or piazzas. Since I am not taking such a course, I get so excited when my Italian class has “site visits” of our own!

This morning we met at Piazza Santa Croce to walk to our final destination together – an art studio where people make mosaic art! Upon arriving, an artist gave us a tutorial on how they make their mosaics. He first showed us the various types of stone they use, describing each one as he wiped off the rock with a damp sponge, revealing their true beauty. The stones were all from different places such as Sicily, Fiesole, and the bottom of the Arno River in Florence.

He then demonstrated how they cut pieces of the colorful rocks.  Using a bow-and-arrow-looking contraption made of a wood and wire, and a mixture of water and sand, the artists carve tiny pieces of stone into the precise shape they need to fit their current work of art.

Through trial and error they fit the puzzle like pieces together to reveal a beautiful picture! It was really neat to see! Their gallery ranged from mosaics of simple flowers to intricate replicas of the Duomo. Their largest pieces take as much time as three years! Upon curiosity, I looked at the price of a small mosaic of a flower – 2500 €! Sorry mom, I did not get one for the house…