Ligurian handicraft products are the result of an ancient curiosity towards those civilizations with which the region used to have commercial contacts by sea, and a rare ability to transform products and materials coming from every corner of the Mediterranean, adapting them to the requirements and exceptional tastes of the Ligurian people.

TYPICAL LIGURIAN QUALITY HANDICRAFT PRODUCTS

Albisola ceramics
Ceramic production in Liguria started in the second half of the 1300s when ceramists from Savona and Albisola began to produce the typical green and turquoise ceramics and majolicas in imitation of the ones imported from the Oriental world by Ligurian traders. Right from the start, the Albisola pottery production divided itself into two main currents; on the one hand, there were items made with engraved terracotta or the so called terracotta ingobbiata (painted terracotta), consisting of plates, bowls and jugs mainly targeted to the lower classes, and on the other, the more refined polychrome majolicas made for the upper classes, subsequently followed by the production of laggioni, (local ornamental tiles) or decorative enamel tiles. 

Filigree
Described by Benvenuto Cellini as “wirework”, filigree became a fully independent branch of goldsmith’s craft starting from the 1600s, slowly evolving into the characteristic openwork production, eliminating any form of rest or support.

The Latin origin of the name (filum and granum) shows that the main raw materials used in this type of          workmanship are gold and silver threads and grains, wonderfully interwoven in a complex, magical weave.

The goldsmiths’ technique of filigree was practiced in Genoa as early as the 15th century, but as from the 1800s the production moved to Campo Ligure which became the home of the filigree masters who continue, still today, to meticulously plait their filigree embroidery.

Goldsmith’s craft
Luxury craftsmen, Genovese goldsmiths enjoyed, up until 1800, a great reputation for the preciousness of their jewels. After establishing a Goldsmiths’ Corporation in the mid-1200s, they became the witnesses of an art with a long tradition.  Via degli Orefici, one of the main streets in the historic centre, proves, still today, how important this Corporation had been for the whole city.

Wrought Iron
Wrought iron workmanship in Liguria has very old roots. The first mills for iron production date back to the 13th century, but it is from the 1400s that blacksmiths started manufacturing the first artistic and ornamental objects. Ironmongers’ art reached its height in the 15th century thanks to the development of the metallurgical sector in the Genoa and Savona areas. Excellence centres in this respect are located in Valle Stura and, in particular, in Rossiglione where many corporations are also based. In the Historic Centre of Genoa traces of this old craft are still visible in the current toponimy of the town: Piazza Campetto, which was once Piazza dei Fabbri (Blacksmiths square), or via di Scurreria, originating from the term scutoria, which used to indicate the forgers of shields.

Slate
Slate is extracted mainly from the quarries in the Tigullio region, Val Fontanabuona, and Valle Argentina in Arma di Taggia.

Used primarily as a roofing material (as in the typical grey Ligurian roofs), slate has always been used in decorative arts too, with significant results in plastic applications and different functional destinations such as portals, slabs for painting or engraving, furniture or decorative elements.

Chiavari chair
In 1807 the Marquis Stefano Rivarola, Ambassador of the Republic of Genova, brought back with him from a journey to Paris a few parisian chairs to serve as models for the Chiavari’s craftsmen.

It was Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi, named Campanino, to create the first unmistakable chair that takes his name: a subtle interweaving of threads made with precious and skilfully aged wood for a chair that, as the ebonist said, “has to be light and solid, has to become the eternal chair”. Many other models came after this first one, such as the “tre archi” chair, very elegant, the “parigina”, the “filippa”, the “tre spade” or “spadina”, and many more each one with its distinctive and unmistakable style.

The Lorsica damask
The crown and the palm tree are the two typical patterns used in the production of damasks in the Genoese tradition. In Lorsica, under the province of Genoa, the ancient damask workmanship still survives intact since the 1500s. The term damask has its origins in the homonymous Syrian town, which is famous for the production of niellated items, decorated in black enamels on golden or silver background. Precisely the matt/gloss contrast between the background and the satin weave design characterizes the manufacturing  of the classic damask, considered to be a fabric without the “wrong side”.

The Zoagli velvet
This precious oriental fabric, soft and delicate, that the Arabs call “kahifetr”, arrived in Liguria after the Crusades. The importance of the workmanship of the “Genoa Velvet” was linked to the incredible softness and brightness of this silky material which was widely used by the European Nobility of the time, as depicted in Van Dyck paintings. The Silk art involved the interweaving, on a handloom, of thin and shiny weft and warp threads with additional threads to convey consistency to the fabric.

Macramè lace
In the 1600s the workmanship of a new type of lace, so unique and precious started developing in the Eastern side of Liguria, specifically in the Gulf of Tigullio: the macramé lace. The term, Arabic in origin, indicates a heavy lace, generally made of linen, entirely realized with the hand-knotting technique. Macramè lace was initially used for decorating hems of towels, table-cloths and sheets; while more recently it was reinterpreted as a decorative element to embellish hand-bags and clothes. At the centre it is possible to admire the largest macramé lace table-cloth in the world made by the Genoese association “De Fabula”.

Lute making�
Nicolò Bianchi, a Genoese lute maker who operated in Paris for nearly 20 years from 1848 to 1867, is considered the first lute-maker copier, from a modern point of view, and perhaps the only one in the 1800s to be able to build antiqued instruments. Fine connoisseur of the Italian lute-making tradition, he owned a selection of models including, among his favourite ones, a “Guarnieri del Gesù” violin dated 1741, stylistically very close to the “Cannone”, the outstanding violin played by the Genoese genius Niccolò Paganini which is now on display at the Strada Nuova Museums in Palazzo Tursi.

Bookbinding
Bookbinding has always been a form of art: in their workshops, bookbinders used to meticulously stitch sheets of delicate parchment and, subsequently, also paper obtained from the retting of rags. Hand-stitching of books (folders) has been entirely replaced by new gluing techniques; however it is still employed today for binding valuable books or for old style works.

Church vestments
The intense religious involvement of Ligurian people, combined with the thriving of the local textile craftsmanship, highly appreciated across Europe for the variety and preciousness of the fabrics used, has led to the creation of splendid sacred vestments. The predominant part of the religious textile art consist of silk fabrics, shaped in the different weaves: taffeta, satin, damask, velvet and lampas with brocade wefts made in gold, silver or polychrome silk.

Perfume
Born in Genoa, Mario Sbarbori has been one of the most famous scent-makers of Italy in the 1900s.
From his workshop in via di Scurreria, he went on to conquer the town of Paris and even the United States thanks to the originality and purity of his perfumes.

Weaving
Textile production of Ligurian craftsmen is notable for its variety: precious fabrics such as damask, satin, macramé and lamé, but also simple ones such as exceptionally resistant cotton wefts, known today by the name of Blue Jeans, “the blue of Genoa”. In the old days, in fact, the crossbowmen of the Republic of Genoa used to wear uniforms made with this strong blue material. Today, classic blue jeans are made precious with special ornaments applied with the typical “Genoese appliqué” technique.

Glass
“A la façon d’Altare” characterizes the Altarese glass-making method and identifies a whole series of transparent glass objects that were set to become, over time, the typical expressive language of the glass-making masters of western Liguria. Glass-making in the Ligurian territory developed in the first half of the 12th century, probably as a result of the settlement in the Bergeggi Island (Savona) of a Benedictine monks community originating from Province, and then, from the late Middle Ages onwards, consolidated in Altare, in the province of Savona.

Artistic glass windows
Decorating a glass window means, above all, painting with light, playing with colours; it is not a coincidence, in fact, that originally the production of artistic glass windows was done by painters and not by glass-makers. The combination of these two arts, implemented by binding together colour and glass through lead, has allowed for the creation of wonderful objects used as furniture accessories and decorative elements especially in the Art Nuveau.

Leather footwear
Manufacturing a shoe in real leather and hide, with a hand-stitched made-to-measure upper, can take a whole day of work. But the final effect is of such elegance and sophistication to make shoes the paramount accessory for refined clothing.

Leather accessories
The Genoese dressing style is compared by many with the British one: classic cut, elegance and attention to detail. In their workshops the Ligurian artisans create fashion accessories such as handbags, belts and key holders, entirely hand-stitched and made with the finest leather.

EXAMPLES OF AGRO-FOOD EXCELLENCE

Pesto
The most famous cold sauce in the world has its origins in Liguria. The first pesto sauce recipe dates back to the 1800s, but already during the Renaissance a number of crushed sauces were widely prepared, such as “agliata” (crushed garlic spread), probably the direct ancestor of the traditional Genoese pesto. According to the original recipe, pesto is prepared by adding small quantities of freshly crushed pine nuts and garlic to D.O.P (Denomination of Protected Origin) Genoese Basil, finishing it off with well aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Sardinian Pecorino and D.O.P extra-virgin olive oil “Riviera Ligure”. Pesto, so made following the traditional Ligurian recipes, was once prepared using a marble mortar and a balsa wood pestle.

D.O.P. Oil
The olive tree is undoubtedly one of the distinctive elements of the Ligurian landscape. Already present on the local territory as early as 3000 BC, from 1700 its growing was expanded also to hillsides and mountain areas thanks to the terracing method. In 1997 the extra-virgin olive oil “Riviera Ligure” – bringing together under one single denomination all the oil produced in three geographical areas: “”Riviera dei Fiori”, “Riviera del Ponente Savonese”, “Riviera del Levante” -     was awarded the European prize for the Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP). The peculiarity of the Ligurian oil is its fruity flavour associated to a distinctively sweet palate combined with a slightly bitter hot aftertaste.

DOC wines (Controlled Denomination of Origin)�
As many as 8 DOC wines are produced in the Ligurian territory. From west to east we find: Dolceacqua Rossese, a full-bodied fragrant red wine with an intense perfume; Ormeasco di Pornassio, a red wine with a persistent flavour, and hints of ripe cherry, blackberry and violet. Excellent also as a passito wine (strong sweet wine made from raisins); Riviera Ligure di Ponente, a denomination grouping together Pigato, Vermentino and Rossese wines produced with the grape varieties found in this geographical area; Valpolcevera and the unique Valpolcevera Coronata, a white wine with a hint of a sulphur aftertaste much appreciated by Stendhal who quoted it in his book “Journey to Italy”; Golfo del Tigullio bringing together different varieties of Passito and Muscat white wines; the red and white wines from the Colline di Levanto and the Colli di Luni, and finally, Cinque Terre and Cinque Terre Sciacchetrà, a sweet, fortified passito wine, particularly rare and refined.

Chocolate
The first man to be offered cocoa seeds, successfully grown by Mayans since 400 AD, was Christopher Columbus. But it was only after the discovery of the “West Indies” that the real value of these seeds, primary ingredient of chocolate, was fully unveiled.
From the second half of 1700s, hot chocolate was very popular in Genoa both in the aristocracy and among less wealthy people. In the Pré district, there was Vico del Cioccolatte (Chocomilk alley), so named because it was the old seat of chocolate makers and confectioners.