Objects Can Tell Stories Too!
Our home is located on the east coast of South Florida. We have lived in this house for over thirty years and have raised two children and two dogs.
The streets are lined with mature oak trees beautifully manicured which canopy over the streets filtering out the harsh Florida sun. It is a nice addition to the palm trees and the native Florida landscape. The neighborhood is welcoming and at the time we could envision our family living here.
The house is your typical ranch-style, it was in good shape, but we had dreams to renovate to make it our own. But as life has it, aside from small projects, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago, that it got that well-deserved makeover.
I will start the tour with our living room….which is actually the least used room in the house but it does have many interesting stories to tell.
Do Your Rooms Tell Stories?
I’d like to focus on the mosaic above the couch because as you can see it is the highlight of the room.
It all started when my in-laws went on a trip to Italy….they were on a private guided tour while in Rome, touring Vatican City. They experienced the treasures of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica and were privy to an added bonus of the Mosaic Art Studio, which can only be toured with a private guide.
What is the Mosaic Art Studio?
The Mosaic Art Studio is an active workspace for a team of highly skilled artists and craftsmen whose job is to restore and preserve the centuries-old mosaics inside St. Peter’s Basilica. They are also responsible for creating specially commissioned pieces for private buyers, as well as mosaics that will be given by the Pope to visiting dignitaries.
During their tour, they fell in love with the mosaic Angel now hanging above our couch.
This is the actual photo they took while touring the studio.
The Angel from the Mosaic Studio of the Rev. Workshop of St. Peter in the Vatican took their breath away. It is an original replica of the famous artist, Master Ferruccio Ferrazzi. He and his brother were both accomplished painters and known both in Europe and the United States.
The Flight of the Angel
Grammy and Poppy were not afraid of logistics, the thought of getting this home would have stopped me in my tracks.
This large three hundred pound mosaic took over three months to arrive in the United States. It was shipped from Italy via cargo ship in a carefully packed container. After arriving in the United States it sat in customs for another few weeks, finally finding its way via truck to my in-law’s front door.
It was decided the Angel would be placed above the couch in their family room. I remember my mother in law having buyers remorse thinking this massive piece of artwork could potentially fall onto the head of one their precious grandchildren.
This thought led to the opening of the wall above the sofa, where two wood beams and metal brackets were professionally added to support the weight of the mosaic. This entailed another month of dust, welding brackets, and the addition of wood beams stragetically placed to give the wall the support it needed to hold this massive piece of artwork.
Several years later, we decided to take a family trip to Italy and with the knowledge, we gained from their trip to Rome we were able to follow in their footsteps.
We were able to tour the Mosaic Studio with our guide and we were hoping to be able to purchase a piece of artwork.
We chose the piece below. It is a micro mosaic, and it fit into our budget (sort of). The pricing depends on many factors such as the material used, the intricate detail of the design, and the time it takes to complete.
I can warn you….don’t be fooled by the size.
Years later after Grammy and Poppy passed, we were given the honor of giving the Angel a new home.
We also had to open the wall above the couch to add extra support for the mosaic to safely hang on the wall, but most of the hard work was already done. The metal brackets were welded onto the mosaic frame, we just had to add extra wood beams so the job was not as tedious and it went up easily.
We knew Grammy would not rest…..knowing it could potentially fall off the wall and hurt one of her precious grandchildren.
Most Holidays are celebrated at our house and the Angel is a family reminder to all of us that Grammy and Poppy are watching over us. It reminds us not to be afraid and with hard work and determination anything is possible.
Wait until you hear the story of the table!
