Back in March of 2008, we published an article about Paolo Caravacci and his L’alcova interior design and furnishing company who have had for a number of years a showroom and small exhibition space here in Barga Vecchia. L’alcova also have studios and exhibition space down on what is practically the most southern part of Italy – the island of Pantelleria. On a good day looking south from that island, Cap Bon, a peninsula in Northeastern Tunisia can be seen rising up from the Mediterranean Sea – Africa is within striking distance. In fact the whole range of the very fashionable L’alcova designs give out a sense of light, sun and heat. It is not a coincidence that the subtitle on their website is “Ambienti Mediterranei”
So it comes as a bit of a shock walking past their shop in Barga Vecchia this morning and finding a glass case containing images of some of their work showing the complete opposite of sun and heat. In fact they were showing comprehensively some of the effects of the severe cold weather that Barga has been suffering recently.
A combination of very damp weather followed by very cold conditions has had a bizarre effect on some of the printed images in the glass case. They have become “distressed” and partially destroyed with the printed image breaking up into tiny strips and curling away from the white backing paper leaving an almost three-dimensional image.
Local artists who noticed these images this morning were overheard discussing whether or not it would be possible to replicate these distressed images in their own studios. Is there any chance that we will be seeing more printed three-dimensional images in Barga this coming season ?
Probably not, but for the moment we can enjoy the ones that natural conditions have provided for us.
The L’alcova interior design and furnishing company who have for a number of years had a small exhibition space nearby have expanded into a new showroom and point of sale. The new space contains many of their emblematic hand finished furniture and fittings that have the L’alcova designs highly sought after in Italy and beyond.
Recently featured at the Salon del Mobile in Florence and popping up in some of the glossier Milan based fashion magazines, Paolo Caravacci and his handpicked team of designers have been gradually carving out a name for themselves over the last 25 years with simple but very fashionable designs for beds, tables and chairs using natural elements, where the wood is seen as wood and any “imperfections” are actually incorporated into the design. It has been interesting to see how some of their furniture have been incorporated into local restaurants such as the Altana with the more traditional feel and yet the same design stands perfectly well inside the more modern setting of the Scacciaguai restaurant.
Their website including a 3D virtual tour of their stand at the Salon del Mobile in Florence can be seen here
Incidentally, if any of this talk of the sun and heat of the island of Pantelleria has caught your interest then maybe you should have a look at some of the paintings that Keane produced in the late 80’s while staying on the island or if that isn’t enough then how about calling in on the website that Paolo Caravacci has online showing his Dammuso – his rented house on Pantelleria.
La Caletta – Pantelleria – It is situated in one of the most beautiful places in Pantelleria island with regard to the landscape. Easily accessible from the perimetric road that leads there from the chief town, the ancient Caletta’s “dammuso” overlooks a rocky peak facing Kajar’s nature reserve, where the vegetation of mediterranean bush grows on ancient lava flow that shaped the characteristic monoliths and gave the island the name of “black pearl of Mediterranean sea”. The reserve extends through a vast area from the dammuso as far as the sea. The house faces east and south and from the spacious terrace it is possible to enjoy the peaceful landscape of the reserve and sea, that is reachable in 15 minutes by foot, following a path which leads there from the property. – site is here