Italy has a reputation for high quality local crafts, but the country’s artigiani – traditional artisans – have struggled to compete with the increasing commercialisation of their country in recent years. Indeed The Guardian reported that Italian artisans were turning increasingly to the internet and the convenience of selling to supermarkets, in order to try and make a living. It seems that the traditional crafts of Italy are in danger of being lost to mass production, with the demise of uniqueness and quality that such a move usually entails.
However, my wife is determined to fight for the country’s artigiani. From our Italian base in Le Marche Dawn Cavanagh-Hobbs, a co-founder in our family-run company Appassionata, is supporting and working alongside local artisans. The individuals that Dawn works with are often the third or fourth generation of their family to carry out the specialist local crafts. Their workshops range from tiny warehouses to ramshackle wooden huts.
Dawn explains,“I feel privileged to have had the chance to meet and support so many talented artisans in Le Marche. Appassionata’s ethos is to support small local businesses and to help the region’s economy wherever possible. Many of the artisans we work with have tiny facilities at their disposal but what they produce is incredible.”
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