Aqua di Parma La Nobilita del Fare (The Nobility of Making)

In my -and many others'- mind, Italy has always stood as the archetypal bed for the blossoming of the arts: the country not only is a living and breathing museum, but also the fertile soil on which artisans and artists from the fields of painting, pottery, glassmaking, leather goods, music and perfumery, to this day produce objects and artifacts of high quality and that easy elegance which comes naturally to the South. Among them Acqua di Parma, revived thanks to the high profile business model opted for which helped consolidate it as a cult brand for perfume lovers everywhere.

 Acqua di Parma La Nobilita del Fare book cover © Giovanni Gastel

Now Acqua di Parma are launching not a new fragrance but a fragrance-related book for collectors: "La nobiltà del Fare” (The Nobility of Making) [editions Electra]. This prestigious volume features images from the great Italian photographer Giovanni Gastel, who tells a series of exceptional stories demonstrating the noble skills which Italy has mastered since the Renaissance. The book, with texts by Andrea Kerbaker and an introduction by Enrico Colle, will launch in New York on September 17th on the occasion of the American premiere of the “Roberto Bolle and Friends Gala”, produced by Artedanzsrl and sponsored exclusively by Acqua di Parma.

The book contains twenty-three stories selected from the most significant examples of Italian creativity, recounted through photographs specially taken by Giovanni Gastel, which express the essence and flavor of creativity, in the lightness of dance as well as the materiality of stone; images that explore intense faces, that reveal the secrets of ancient techniques, and tell of astounding artifacts. Artistic institutions of great international renown, academies and music conservatories, consortia and foundations, but also small workshops where master craftsmen create unique products that the world desires, fashioned in keeping with ancient methods of work: an exceptional variety of magnificent creative skills, whose common denominator is the noble tradition, the outstanding vocation, the age-old craftsmanship and passion for keeping alive the cultural and artistic traditions of the country.

Roberto Bolle photo © Giovanni Gastel

“A tradition of craftsmanship,” writes Enrico Colle in his introduction to the volume, “with a very high level of quality of execution coupled with an inspired use of widely available raw materials transformed by art. ... Italian craft production in all fields ... has been distinguished by ... the ability to create magnificent works in which the materials, subdued by art, are capable of arousing the admiration of both critics and patrons of the arts.”
Together with the photographs, the texts by Andrea Kerbaker lend a voice to the protagonists, who include Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, Renzo Piano, Marco Magnifico, Mimmo Paladino, Uto Ughi, as well as Maurizio Baglini, Daniele Gatti, Stefano Conia, the Marinelli brothers, Luca Litrico and many others.

Editions Electra, 332 pages with 280 illustrations, hardcover lined with jacquard silk & linen fabric by Rubelli. Available in Italian and English, retailing at 200 euros.