The Bruno di Belmonte is a historic, noble Sicilian family whose roots run deep in the Ragusa area. Giovanni and his sister however, heirs to the lineage, live in Rome, and have been in business together for many years now as artisanal goldsmiths.
Perhaps due to their Sicilian determination or the appreciation of quality from their upbringing (the Palazzo Bruno di Belmonte in Ispica is stunning), Giovanni is yet another artisan (others here and here) who steadfastly refutes notions such as mass production and low quality.
“Trust me, I get it. I fully understand the market logic of mass production. However, to impart a human element into a piece, especially one meant for beauty’s sake alone, it needs to be physically handled and cared for while it is crafted,” he says. “There is no other way around it, there are no shortcuts; anything else is simply an object.”
Fundamentalist? Madman? Perhaps. Yet like all the other artisans around the country, Giovanni prides himself on his pigheadedness and being a custodian of an important art form. Seen in this light, fortunately for us I would say.
Giovanni is the goldsmith who has come up with the pasta jewelry line that ItalianNotebook.com is happy to promote. Place your holiday orders this week in order to receive them in time!
– Contributed by GB (see bio), Editor, Italian Notebook.
Great to get this info on the creator of the pasta inspired jewelry. Maestro Giovanni is a keeper, and how lucky for us that he is creating this fun line of definitely Italian jewelry.
I am reminded of the David Lean movie “Summertime” in which Katherine Hepburn meets another American couple in Venice. The couple visit the Accademia, and when they return, the husband says to Katherine, “Oh, you should definitely visit the Accademia, Miss Hudson. They have more than 500 pictures, and they are all hand made!”
Lovely jewelry but where in Rome can I find his shop? An address would be appreciated.