The artisans of Sicily

Sebastiano Patania – Tradition and craftsmanship
Since 1973 the Patania family have been making the traditional Sicilian Pupi, the famous puppet, in San Giovanni la Punta, Catania. Synonymous with professionalism, creativity and tradition, the Patanias have built an artisan business which has Sicilian tradition and unique charm at its core. These “treasures of the past” are refined, harmonious and unique objects. They are the result of a passion for the craft, a sense of belonging to their land and a meticulous love for quality materials. The age-old technique, which simply requires the hands of an expert craftsman, is an unchanging element in the creativity of the Patania family. In addition to the creation of the Pupi, a constant search for vintage items, and nurturing customer relationships, the Patania family also specialises in making the traditional “Coffe”. These antique baskets hold food for the horses and are kept under a cart. Today they have been turned into straw bags covered with velvet, fringes and leather of the finest quality, decorated by hand and with ceramic additions.

Salvatore Sapienza – It all started with a wheel
Salvatore Sapienza was born in Catania in 1980. His passion for the decorative arts started when he was only 13 years old. His story as a decorator of Sicilian carts began by chance, when he painted an old wheel. After restoring the wheel and painting it, his father showed it to two veteran decorators. It was the beginning of a long story about art, love and craftsmanship and luckily has never ended. Salvatore began working with the decorators, Domenico Di Mauro and Antonio Zappalà, in their workshop. Di Mauro was his master and his mentor, teaching him all the tricks of the trade. He quickly fell in love with cart art and soon it blossomed into his great passion. With sacrifice and great effort, Salvatore has made over 30 Sicilian carts. Today Salvatore works in a fruit shop he took over from his grandfather 12 years ago. Who knows what he will create if in the future he finds time to indulge in his greatest passion every day.

Adriana Zambonelli and Tiziana Nicosia
Mother and daughter, united by the same passion. Walking through the central streets of Catania, it is almost impossible not to be drawn into a fascinating artisan workshop. Welcome to the small and charming kingdom of Adriana and Tiziana, mother and daughter, brought together by an incredible passion for the land they were born and raised in. Born respectively in 1977 and 1950, both Sicilian and both from, Catania, they work together in a volcanic symbiosis, forming an explosive couple. They work hard and devotion for their craft and maintain their sense of humility at the same time. United by a healthy and entertaining sense of irony, their secret is their love for Sicily, for culture, tradition and, naturally, for the art of the Pupi. The age-old culture of the carts, an important part of Sicilian “architecture”, is a source of endless inspiration for them. Adriana made her first Sicilian Pupo in miniature more than thirty years ago. It was her passion for art that led her to exhibit her works around the world. With art hard-wired into her, Tiziana was inspired by her mother and decided to create something new, a unique artisanal object, artistic transpositions of Sicily. They study the history of Sicilian art day after day and invent new ways of telling its story.

Biagio Castilletti and Damiano Rotella – art that unites
Biagio Castilletti was born in Ragusa Ibla in 1974. As the grandson of a Sicilian cart driver, he had a great admiration for carts ever since he was a child, and never missed an opportunity to draw them on every piece of paper within his reach. When he was twelve, he built his favourite toy on his own: a miniature cart which he decorated himself. As a teenager, he spent much of his time in the workshops of artisans creating carts. Here he learnt the fundamental skills that allowed him to open his own workshop in the town of Riposto, Catania. Biagio met the young Damiano Rotella in 2003, when Damiano was working as an apprentice in the workshop of Di Mauro and Zappalà, in Aci Sant’Antonio. Since then the professional lives of the two artists became entwined. Biagio, intrigued by the youngster’s initiative, started to visit Damiano’s workshop, giving him advice and support. This led to a friendship based on trust, mutual collaboration and a passion for craftsmanship, leading them to create a brand of quality and experience in 2011.