The Lustrin was the person who, in the past, kept the wooden furniture of the palaces in good condition. In Venice, it was a very common job, both as a support for finishing and maintenance of the furniture that passed through the workshop of the marangon (carpenter) and as a street job, together with, for example, the 'impagliatore' or the 'arrotino'. We also remember that, just as there was the "gondolier de Casada", there was the palace keeper who took care of the furniture and fixtures. This knowledge has been handed down orally from generation to generation up to present day through the few remaining masters. Alessandro learned these techniques from the last few who preserved this tradition, working and gaining experience for a decade with Augusto Capovilla, a historic "Venetian" company in the field of wooden furniture conservation. In this period he had the opportunity to deal with the restoration of historical Venetian artifacts of great value, both ancient, such as the Sacristy of the Basilica of S.M. Gloriosa dei Frari, as well as historical ones such as the furnishings of the offices of the Assicurazioni Generali management in San Marco, of the Florian coffee shop, and of many other important historical Venetian palaces, not to forget the maintenance of urban works designed by Carlo Scarpa, of which we remember the ticket office of the Biennale entrance to the gardens, the counter with carabottino at the entrance of the Gallerie dell'Accademia, exhibition counters, bridge and elevator of the Querini Stampalia Foundation. In 2009 he decided to set up his own business by creating the company "El Lustrin" to continue to carry on the tradition linked to the craft by updating the new methods of upkeep.  Today he is the only one in the city with an active professional business who also knows how to polish by hand "French style" with a wick and shellac varnish black mirror surfaces as required by the complicated maintenance of historical pianos. Lustrin means "polisher" but in reality polishing is only the last of several duties offered: the maintenance of fixtures, the restoration of wooden furniture, the preservative treatments against woodworm with fumigation or with modified atmospheres (anoxic treatment), risk evaluation for xylophagous insects, or long-term conservative solutions for small and large artifacts are the main operational proposals from the company. The interventions almost always take place on site to avoid stress the goods from transport, also proposing packages of scheduled maintenance for various types of clients ranging from private individuals to art galleries, churches, foundations, antiquarians and museums. The work is carried out using top quality natural materials, or those with a low chemical impact, which are researched personally. Shellac, for example, is an organic resin which arrived in Venice at the end of the 1200s but has been used extensively in varnishes since the 1700s. It is so natural that it is also used in food, and is produced by a small insect of the Cochineal family in the Indian subcontinent. This material gives surfaces a shiny sheen that is dry and velvety to the touch, highlighting the grain of the wood. Unlike industrial coatings which release toxic chemical residues as they decay, the use of products that are as eco-compatible as possible, whether they are based on the traditions of our age-old history or on new technical solutions, helps to safeguard the health of the client, the furniture, and our planet.