Sixty years of design in crystal
Saturday, May 4th marked the opening of the exhibition celebrating our 60-year history “Sixty years of design in crystal”.
We shared this day with some of the most important journalists, in addition to some key figures of Colle Val d’Elsa and our collaborators!
For all those who would like to visit us, it will be possible to see the exhibition until September 30th, 2024, at the @museodelcristallo in Colle Val d’Elsa.
With this video we want to thank everyone who participated in this event, making it unique and special.
We look forward to seeing you!
Gabriele Bagnasacco
Good morning everyone,
I would like to start by thanking you all for being here to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Arnolfo di Cambio.
It all began in 1961 when my grandfather Bruno had a disagreement with a local supplier who offered pressed glass but not blown glass. The argument concluded with my grandfather saying, “Fine, I’ll open my own glassworks.” True to his word, the project took shape and culminated two years later on 12th September 1963—a date my grandfather chose to commemorate the opening of Cristalleria Arnolfo di Cambio in honour of his son Gilberto, who was born on that same day 22 years earlier. He entrusted Gilberto with the artistic direction of the company, particularly in design, which my father excelled in and carried forward brilliantly…
Burkhardt Francois
My first encounter with Arnolfo di Cambio came in the early seventies while researching the pioneers of Italian design for the exhibition “Design as a Postulate: Italy’s Example” at the International Design Center IDZ in Berlin in 1973. Vittorio Gregotti, overseeing the segment on design history from the fifties to the seventies, introduced me to a second-generation Italian design pioneer, Joe Colombo.
Digging deeper, I stumbled upon a piece by Colombo a glass called “Smoke,” crafted in 1963. In my search for the glass manufacturer, I was astonished to learn that the company that tasked Joe Colombo with designing a collection of glasses in its inaugural year of 1963 was not situated in Brianza or Biella, but in Colle Val d’Elsa. Each year, the company decided to invite a different designer to contribute to its collection…
