Pietrasanta, the city of art and artists source of inspiration for Mason's
Today, Mason's is strongly linked to the Italian character and preciousness of its territory of origin, between Liguria and Tuscany, characterised by unique landscapes, cities of art, millenary history and good food.
The company's origin is in fact linked to Carrara, a town in Tuscany on the border with Liguria and suspended between the sea and the mountains, known worldwide for the production and trade of marble. Over the years, the company has become increasingly linked to the surrounding territory and the realities that distinguish it, managing to establish lasting friendships and solid collaborations. Mason's is not only linked to the beauty of Italian nature, but above all to the eternal luxury of certain historical locations: Renaissance villas and art objects continually inspire the search for an elegance beyond time in which luxury becomes an aesthetic experience combining art, design and innovation.
One of Mason's favourite cities for its history and cultural heritage is undoubtedly the town of Pietrasanta, located in the province of Lucca in the hinterland of Versilia, a famous seaside resort. Today's article wants to be a tribute to this wonderful land and celebrate the most important places and people that have inspired Mason's creative flair.
Pietrasanta, from its military origins to today
Pietrasanta, an ancient city of medieval origin, is to be considered the historical capital of Versilia and the capital of artistic marble processing. It was founded around 1255 by a Milanese nobleman named Guiscardo da Pietrasanta, lord of the province of Lucca, who gave it his name and coat of arms. At the time, Pietrasanta was considered the first example of planned urban development in Tuscany and became important due to its strategic position close to the port of Motrone, which caused it to come under foreign domination from Pisa, Genoa, Florence and France.
Today, the municipality has a strong vocation for tourism thanks to the seaside resort of Marina di Pietrasanta, the charm of its mountains, and the beauty of its historic centre, characterised by marble craftsmen's workshops, renowned bronze foundries, and art workshops and galleries that churn out works of art that are appreciated all over the world. The town is also known for being the birthplace of the famous poet Giosuè Carducci, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in Valdicastello, a hamlet in the municipality of Pietrasanta.
At this point, all that remains is to discover Mason's favourite places, which have become a source of inspiration and have also been used for several photo shoots to highlight the most iconic garments of his collections.
Pietrasanta Visual Arts Centre Foundation
The purpose of the Foundation Visual Arts Centre Pietrasanta (CAVP) is to promote Higher Education in the artistic field and to develop, produce and manage initiatives related to contemporary art and culture in its multiple forms, while enhancing the technical-artistic knowledge expressed in the territory. The centre was established at the behest of the Ministry of Education, University and Research and was founded by the Municipality of Pietrasanta, the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara and the Pietrasanta Artisan Association, which chose the Convent of San Francesco, dating back to around the 16th century, as its headquarters.
For years, the centre has attracted world-famous artists who constantly interact with local workshops and craftsmen, giving rise to projects of international standing. Here Mason's had the opportunity to visit the workshops and observe the artists at work, learning about their work and style. This is how a marble sculpting workshop became the inspirational location for a photo shoot, where models posed among tools, multifunctional machines and marble statues.
Futura Art Gallery in the centre of Pietrasanta
A few metres away from the Cathedral of San Martino, Mason's had the honour of being hosted inside Futura Art Gallery. This gallery was born in 2018 from the experience of two realities that marry: in fact, the new contemporary art gallery inherits the exhibition space of Augusto Palermo's Fienilarte and, with the artistic direction of Claudio Francesconi, it also ties in with the multi-year path of its previous project, namely Gestalt Gallery.
In particular, from Fienilarte it inherits the social and informal approach, always attentive to the visitor's entertainment and his complete comfort in the exhibition environment, while from Gestalt Gallery it inherits the attitude in proposing itself as a discoverer of new talents on the national scene and beyond.
The aim of the gallery is to strongly detach itself from a fairly widespread conception of the art gallery as a showroom or a pure shop: for Alberto Palermo, in fact, art must be something sacred and fundamentally cultural, capable of involving the visitor, who also becomes a protagonist and a part of the whole project. This is how the exhibition space becomes a place of entertainment, where Mason's was not only able to talk about art, but to enjoy and be surprised by the various artistic languages hosted by the gallery.
The sculptor Girolamo Ciulla
One of the most important artistic figures in the city of Pietrasanta is the sculptor Girolamo Ciulla, also known as Gino. The sculptor was born in Caltanissetta in 1952 and throughout his life became inextricably linked to Pietrasanta, choosing it as the place for his artistic expression.
Ciulla was recently involved in a photo shoot in Pietrasanta, during which he wore an iconic Mason's field jacket. This garment represents the fusion of art and fashion, and demonstrates how both can influence each other to create something unique and aesthetically striking. By choosing to wear such a distinctive garment, the artist has underlined the importance of the link between different forms of creativity and their ability to enrich and complement the artistic experience.
If you are interested in learning more about this topic, please read the following article.
Why visit Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is undoubtedly one of the tourist attractions you cannot miss during a trip to Tuscany. The town is a veritable open-air museum where you can admire, among galleries and squares, an uninterrupted and continually renewed exhibition of contemporary art and sculpture of the highest level: it is no coincidence that the municipality has earned the nickname of Little Athens and has been chosen several times by Mason's as a place to draw inspiration.
We leave you with a poem by Giosuè Carducci, hoping that his words will be able to accompany you through the streets of this city of art:
"Quel che mi piace è Pietrasanta:
bellissima cittadina, con piazza unica,
una cattedrale da grande città,
e, sfondo, le Alpi Apuane.
E che paese all'intorno!
che monti, che verde,
che ombre, che fiumi,
che ruscelli risonanti freschi di castagni
e gli olivi fra il verde!
Qui vorrei condurti, mia povera dolorosa:
qui staresti un po' bene da vero."