Gold in all its forms - Salon International du Patrimoine Culturel

Behind the lustre of a restored frame, the glint of a chandelier or a leaf resting on a cornice lies a rare, age-old craft, passed down from one generation to the next. The fair brings together gilders, restorers and three of the last four gold beaters in Europe – one of the continent’s rarest trades. A journey into the world of gold.

This year, the International Heritage Fair is hosting a rare event: three of Europe’s last four gold beaters will be gathered at the fair.

Originating in Florence, gold beating is a centuries-old craft that has brought fame to the city since the Renaissance. To produce these sheets, barely a few microns thick, a gold ingot must be hammered tirelessly. This precise and painstaking process, which can take several hours of hammering for a single bundle of sheets, is now passed down from generation to generation in just a handful of workshops.

The following will be present at this year’s International Heritage Fair:

Giusto Manetti Battiloro (Italy), whose gold has adorned Florence Cathedral, Big Ben, the Opéra Garnier and the Palace of Versailles. Their history began in 1602, when Matteo Manetti was commissioned to restore the gilded dome that crowns Florence Cathedral.
Degami, which for over 60 years has been distributing Noris Blattgold gold leaf in France; this gold leaf has been manufactured in Schwabach (Bavaria) since 1876.
G. Eytzinger (Germany), a long-standing exhibitor at the fair, a workshop founded in 1867 by Johann Gottlieb Eytzinger. This is Germany’s oldest gold-beating workshop, which today produces some of the finest gold leaf in the world, recognisable by its famous crocodile logo.

Exceptional craftsmanship, passed down through generations, which continues to illuminate the world’s greatest heritage monuments.

© Degami

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