Author by : Alessandro Nicolo

To begin with a bold statement, by some estimates 60 per
cent of the Western world’s treasures are to be found within
Italy’s borders. Another estimate claims that Italy exports 45
per cent of the world’s luxury items. These are astounding
figures. Then again, to anybody who has been to Italy, these
figures are not surprising.

This ‘geographic expression’, as it was once called, is
essentially one giant museum of fine living. By now, many of
us are familiar with much of what Italy is famous for – from
the fine arts of film, fashion, architecture and music to its
highly regarded and world renowned culinary heritage with
espresso, wine, cheese and gelato. Their sports culture,
littered with international successes, should not be
underestimated either.

However, there is another side of Italy that does not get as
much attention: The artful ability to create works of art from
cold, uninspiring elements of the post-industrial age – metal
and steel. Italy is not only a purveyor of ‘la dolce vita’ or the
finer, sweeter things in life, but is equally an innovator in the
harder, sharper elements of it.

Italy brought its industrial and manufacturing base to new
heights during the 20th century. By applying creative and
elegant design to industrial machinery mainly in the cities of
Torino and Milano, Italy quickly distinguished itself in the
post-war years as a dominant global trendsetter in
industrial and manufacturing design.

Today, Italy ranks 7th in the world in industrial and
manufacturing output. It is a nation that conceives
performance in both man and machine. The Futurist Art
movement is a marvelous example of this.

For those bemoaning today’s global, mechanized
cookie-cutter approach to manufacturing, look no farther
than Italy; it is home to hundreds, if not thousands of
companies, family dynasties and small shops devoted to
the craftsmanship of the forgotten art of small details.

Metal? Steel? These are not things we usually associate
with Italy. When we think about Italy it immediately conjures
up romantic and picturesque images of Capri or world class
ski resorts. Steel, and its efficient application of it, normally
brings to mind other economic powers like Germany,
Britain, Japan and the United States. Italy? Really?

Really. It is a side of Italy I personally never paid close
attention to and was slow to realize. Buoyed by innovative
and avant-garde engineers that perfected Italian industrial
design, some of the most famous names in Italy are
manufacturing legends. They include Piaggio (makers of
the iconic Vespa scooters) in airplane building, Beretta in
fine pistol manufacturing, Ducati and Aprilia (owned by
Piaggio) in motorcycling and Campagnolo, Bianchi and
Columbus Steel in bicycle manufacturing.

Of course, high performance sports cars are synonymous
with Italy’s fascination with speed. Needless to say, Italy has
earned a racy reputation with the likes of Alfa Romero,
Maserati and Ferrari to name a few manufacturers.

Design does not begin and end with form in Italy. In car
manufacturing, for example, it includes all the tiny pieces of
metal that create the whole machine-cranks and blocks,
hydraulic lifters, cam shafts, bearing caps, breaks and gear
boxes and countless other pieces. These are definitely not
your run-of-the-mill machine-shop components that make a
car go- they are works of high quality art that complement
the design geniuses of Pininfarina, Zagato and Michelotti.

Nor does it end with moveable objects with an engine. One
would think that manufacturing bicycles does not demand
technical innovation, but do not tell that to cycling-mad Italy.
Primary materials in aerodynamic bicycle manufacturing
include carbon fibre, titanium, exotic steel and aluminum
alloys.

Lastly (and worth mentioning), in the land where the
Etruscans, Romans and Renaissance Humanists were
born, Italy was among the first European nations to offer
their engineering know-how in space exploration through
the Italian Space Agency. Together with NASA, the Italian
Space Agency takes part in various development projects.
The ultimate recognition of Italy’s presence in the
post-industrial age.

After enjoying a fine Italian lunch, when asked what sets
Italians apart from most cultures, a French-Canadian
restaurateur once told me in casual conversation, that
Italians do not just make espresso. They make the machine
to perfect it. They also make the knives and metalwork to cut
their culinary creations and they produce the machines to
perfect the shoe. They are, in today’s global economy, fully
integrated artists.

An appropriate analogy would be in film. A director’s artistic
vision imprints his or her distinctive style on the story. The
great Italian director, Federico Fellini, left his fingerprint on
every film he made that broke with classical styles during
that period. In a way, Italy’s great industrial designers have
left a legacy reminiscent of Fellini. In this light, perhaps
those figures mentioned and their achievements on the
onset are not that surprising.

Perhaps a detailed book about this subject should be
considered?

[tags]italy, industrial, art, genius[/tags]

Related Posts

• No Related Post