September 10, 2024

A journey through the beauty of Italy with the third edition of La Grande Bellezza - The Dream Factory

Let's discover together the 10 finalists of the biennial Starhotels project award

The fascinating world of the Grand Tour and its designer souvenirs is the inspiration for the third edition of the bi-annual La Grande Bellezza - The Dream Factory award, a project organised by Starhotels in collaboration with Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, OMA - Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte and Gruppo Editoriale.

The 10 finalists will be among the participants of Artigianato e Palazzo (13-15 September in Florence’s Corsini Gardens), with a special exhibition and the announcement of the winner, chosen by a panel of prestigious experts.

These are works of exquisite craftsmanship that interpret the theme of Grand Tour Souvenirs with a combination of tradition and contemporary style. Amphora by Cecilia Rinaldi speaks of the Roman era but with an unexpected slant, while Ancient Rome meets Ancient Greece in Archetypes, from Poseidonia to Paestum by Bhumi Ceramica; Doriana Usai’s La consapevolezza takes us to the land of the Nuraghe in Sardinia, the island that is also the birthplace of the Gedda vase by Walter Usai; next we move to Venezia, which lends its name to the work of Marcello Chiarenza and is also home to Elia Toffolo, creator of the deconstructed Etereosingle-flower vase, and Saverio Pastor’s Forcola da passeggio; and then to Trapani for Il Gioiello Portagioie by RossoCorallo di Rosadea e Platimiro Fiorenza; Lilliput Sorrentina. Il presepe napoletano in una mano is a wonderful new piece by Marcello Aversa, while Mastro Santi Del Sere depicts the historic Battaglia di Anghiari.