Carmen Álvarez Cuadrado
It's the only academic institution in the world dedicated to one of the most ancient crafts. It's in the north of Italy, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The centuries-old, university's mission: to preserve the art of mosaic.
STEFAN LOVISON
President, Friuli Mosaic School
From the very beginning – it was founded on 22 January 1922 – there was strong demand from many young people. They were already working here in western Friuli, in various workshops. However, they had only received basic training in mosaic-making, so there was a need for a school offering professional training spanning 300 degrees.
Its kilometer-long corridors are filled with works made by the students. Step by step, cut by cut, tessera by tessera. Meticulous work that has culminated in this... From a geisha, to a portrait of Pope Francis, to a copy of Michelangelo’s Pietà. But their work isn’t just for internal use. Look how far these mosaics have travelled. This is a copy, but do you know where the original ended up?
STEFAN LOVISON
At the beginning of the 90s, we received a commission for the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, above all, for the Greek Orthodox part. It was discussed and, therefore, it was accepted to make a huge mosaic, right here, inside our building, which was then sent to Jerusalem and, once there, we went and assembled it. And then we placed it in its spot.
And that wasn’t the only thing they did. What’s more, they used techniques that were considered revolutionary at the time.
STEFAN LOVISON
President, Friuli Mosaic School
Inside there, we built the 350-square-metre dome – that’s something I always talk about with pride. Nowadays, lasers and all these electronic measuring methods are widely used, but back then the measurements were still taken with tape measures, as was the custom in the old days, and look ,when it was installed, it wasn’t out by a single centimetre.
This centre also works with countries at war. It has students from Ukraine, Russia and Lebanon. It organises exchange programmes so that they can learn the art of mosaic-making and then go on to teach or develop it in their own countries. And there are stories like these...
STEFAN LOVISON
President, Friuli Mosaic School
Valeria, who is Ukrainian, and Maria, who is Russian. They met here for the first time in their first year; they were in the same class and spent three years together, because our students… they rent flats, so the two of them lived together and, look, they got on really well; they’ve always worked together and continue to do so.
A place where ancient art and perseverance go hand in hand. Where it does not matter where you come from. Each person is a tessera in a larger mosaic, contributing to an institution whose history stretches back more than 100 years.
