Venice Original supports and enhances the traditional and artistic crafts of Venice
For centuries, crafts have been the true vital lymph of Venice, a huge
intangible cultural heritage, the result of people's inventiveness,
intelligence and creative character.
The roots of Venice's great history can be found in water and in its skills, in the various types of traditional arts and crafts. Shops and artisans who have contributed to making a place on the lagoon into a unique and special city. Competences and experiences that have embellished symbolic objects, places and buildings, but also to solve practical everyday problems in a sustainable and creative way even before these words were part of the common vocabulary.
A knowledge that becomes tangible in the production of many small and large objects, available on the Venice Original e-commerce platform to continue exporting beauty around the world.
A project that connects, narrates and promotes the artistic and traditional craftsmanship of Venice conceived by CNA Metropolitana di Venezia, and supported by J.P. Morgan, with the patronage of the Municipality of Venice, the Chamber of Commerce of Venice and Rovigo and the partnership of other institutions such as Venezia da Vivere and Ca Foscari Alumni.
Venice, a city that can only be saved by saving its masters. Because for generations these craftsmen have kept the city alive and productive, open to trade, hospitality and contamination. In the 1700s Venice was an enormous workshop, a great laboratory where the most precious objects were made with precious raw materials from all over the world.
Wood, gold, glass, ceramics, fabrics: Venice was able to receive and make its own ancient handcraft techniques. It has been able to seek its fortune far abroad, to travel, to take risks in order to bring prosperity back home, offering new inspiration and opportunities to its people. It is important that this world of craftsmanship continues to flourish and does not bend to the logic of speed and consumption of our time. Craftsmanship is compatible with the city, it makes it more interesting and alive.
In these times of Covid, all commerce is in difficulty but, differently from franchising chains, artisans continue to stay in the shop, to produce and invent resilient solutions to cope with the crisis. For how much longer? There are only a few of them left and there are many difficulties. Often it is not easy to recognise and track them down, but Venice Original opens up a new channel for discovering them and creating a system, for revealing the best excellence and producing original items, including custom-made ones.
It's a battle against time, but it's particularly important, at this historic
moment, to help Venetian artisans. Not only, with this e-commerce to support them in their economic income, in their business model, but also to make a system because Venice needs to be united, to stay alive, attractive and of excellent in an international context.
Do you know when a dream comes true? Venice is in desperate need of new energy to keep dreaming. With Venice Original, we are convinced that only by looking to the past, through its historical craftsmanship, Venezia can construct its future.
Help us support the artisans by choosing to acquire objects from the
collections offered by Venice Original. If you do not find what you are
looking for, or if your needs are different, please contact us specifying
your wishes and tastes. Craftsmanship is all about creating objects that are different from each other, unique and unrepeatable.