Address: Via Cesare Battisti 15, 47822 Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy
Attraction Location
Artisan Printing House Marchi Videos
The Ancient Mangle of Santarcangelo di Romagna: Preserving the Art of Rust-Printed Fabric
Only a handful of artisans still practice the centuries-old craft of rust printing on fabric. Of those who do, even fewer use the traditional stone mangle, or press, on handwoven, raw hemp fabric, yielding textiles that last for centuries. The Marchi family printworks, in Italy’s Romagna region, may well be the only place left in the world that still produces authentic, rust-printed textiles that are fully handmade.
This short documentary, by Italian filmmaker Luisa Grosso, takes you inside the Marchi family's workshop to demonstrate the workings of their original, 17th-century mangle and other tools of the trade that have been handed down through four generations. Handcarved wooden molds or stamps are used to print patterns on antique hemp fabrics for a soft, lustrous textile that can last for centuries. You can learn more about the art of rust printing in Ms. Grosso's short article, found on The Craftsmanship Initiative site:
Gli Artigiani del Gusto: Francesco Olivetti, Stamperia di Arte Rustica Romagnola - Santa Sofia
Gestisce dal 1971 la sua stamperia di arte rustica romagnola. Incuriosito ed affascinato da questo antico mestiere, decide di imparare l'arte direttamente dai maestri stampatori. La sua passione, determinazione ed esperienza l'hanno aiutato a portare avanti tradizioni antiche, l'unicità di questo lavoro manuale legato al passato e riscoperto ai giorni nostri. Il suo sogno si è avverato: realizzare lavori di un certo livello, soddisfare le esigenze dei suoi clienti e creare stampe romagnole per i turisti che visitano la sua bottega e portano i simboli della Romagna fuori dai confini della regione.
Francesco has run since 1971 his print shop for the country-style art of Romagna. Fascinated by this ancient craft, he decided to learn the art directly from master printers. His passion, commitment, and experience have helped him to preserve and advance ancient traditions and the unique nature of this manual labor tied to the past and rediscovered only recently. His dream has come true: he creates high-level works which satisfy the needs of his clients and he creates Romagnolo prints for the tourists who visit his shop so they can carry the symbols of Romagna far from its borders.