ZanonGallery By FACI

Giovanni Zanon Story in Inglese

Giovanni Zanon is a marble man.

Marble has fascinated him

from his very early days with its myriad colours and patterns

when he worked as a restorer and had to search out

fragments of marble to repair a Louis XV bureau or match

a piece for an inlaid table.

Once he had embarked on designing

and making furniture himself inspired by classic

lines and shapes but always incorporating marble sheer weight of the stone posed a problem.

He gradually evolved a fail safe system of making thin marble veneers that

could be applied to the largest pieces and keep the weight under control.

He experimented with various types of wood to find the perfect base that

wouldn’t expand or contract, keeping the marble flat.  Once he had mastered the technique

which he patented in the 80’s, he went on to create wonderful pieces - tables,

table bases, lamps, bed-heads, sideboards, cupboards and fireplaces –

all inlaid with intricate patterns and colours,

echoing the work of past masters from roman times and the French Empire period.

This innovative technique allowed Giovanni

to apply the marble to extravagant shapes.

The ceilings of his shop in Via Tor

di Nona have the dramatic effect of great swathes of fabric and yet are constructed

out of wood and travertine, the classic stone that comes from nearby Tivoli and is

used extensively throughout Rome for all kinds of building work –

facades, steps, floors,

lintels, columns, statues and fountains.