First Meeting
I first met Giovanni in 1990 at the Annual Marble Fair in Marina Carrara. There he stood out as the only one actually carving with hammer and chisel in hand amongst the machines and Stone Blocks at this large industrial fair. When I expressed an interest in his work he replied politely to my questions and invited me to visit him in his studio.
When I did so a few weeks later he welcomed me warmly and showed me his work. I was fascinated by what he was doing and asked him if I could try to sculpt in stone under his direction. Despite my small wrists and lack of any experience he took me seriously and reacted very positively asking when I would like to start.
The Studio
When I first entered Giovanni's studio it was full of interesting plasters and stone sculptures and fireplaces some still being worked, to me it seemed a magical place where beauty was being created every day and I loved working there.
Although in Marina Carrara not far from the Port and close to the Genova Pisa Autostrada the setting is rural with his studio in the orchard behind the house shaded by Olive and fruit trees. Beyond the garden is a large field in which sheep graze when they were brought down from the mountains.