Secret drawers and floral marquetry, inside a family furniture workshop in Vicenza

About

Where can you visit a furniture workshop in Vicenza?

Vangelista 1960 Alta Ebanisteria welcomes visitors by appointment to its production workshop and showroom in Rosà, near Bassano del Grappa, in the province of Vicenza, northern Italy. The family business makes classical furniture, including cabinets, writing desks, tables, mirrors and pieces commissioned to suit a particular room. The Italian word ebanisteria refers to fine cabinetmaking, encompassing the construction, veneering and decorative woodwork involved in elaborate furniture. Here, a visit offers the opportunity to discuss materials and finishes directly with the maker, whether your interest is in woodworking, European decorative arts or furnishing a home.

Secret drawers and a table that opens into a chessboard

Some of the most intriguing pieces reward a closer inspection. The catalogue includes a circular table with three concealed drawers that open in a fan arrangement, its top decorated with concentric stars in maple and rosewood. An opening games table combines an inlaid chessboard with storage for cards and games, folding back into a rectangular console. These are newly made pieces based on classical furniture designs. If concealed compartments or games tables are your particular interest, mention the models when arranging your appointment so the workshop can advise what is available to examine.

How are the floral designs made?

Marquetry creates images and patterns from pieces of contrasting wood. In Vangelista’s furniture, differences in colour and grain provide the petals, leaves and borders of floral compositions, as well as geometric designs. The workshop documents the use of woods including walnut burl, maple, ebony and rosewood. Carved decoration requires a different approach: gouges and chisels shape scrolls and reliefs in woods such as lime and walnut. Some of the tools, the family says, were inherited from grandfather Pietro’s workshop. For anyone interested in how European classical furniture is made, these distinctions are useful. An inlaid flower is assembled from wood; a carved flower is cut into it.

What is the Farsetti finish?

Vangelista describes a hand polishing process called the Farsetti method. One of its documented finishes involves 22 applications with a polishing pad, using shellac and powdered pumice. The result highlights the grain and the contrasts between the woods in the marquetry. Ask about the finish on the particular piece you are viewing: the catalogue describes different treatments according to the model.

Three generations,  and an American customer in the family story

The family’s woodworking history predates the 1960 company name. Pietro Vangelista opened a workshop in Rosà in 1951; his son Luigi established Luigi Vangelista Mobili d’Arte on 12 January 1960. Luigi’s sons, Corrado and Riccardo, subsequently joined the business. 

Its logo has an unusual origin. According to the family account, an American woman visiting the area bought furniture from Pietro, who sketched her silhouette with an umbrella and fan. The drawing became the company emblem. The same account records her return in 1974, when she bought all the furniture then in production, providing the funds for further investment.

Can you commission furniture and have it shipped abroad?

The workshop accepts commissions with changes to dimensions, wood, shape and finish. For a useful first conversation, bring room measurements, photographs and a clear idea of how the piece will be used. Vangelista arranges delivery in Italy, Europe and selected destinations outside the European Union. Request a quotation covering the furniture, transport and any installation required at the destination. For travellers seeking artisan workshops in Italy, this Vicenza address offers direct access to the people making the furniture. Book ahead and explain your interests, particularly if you want to discuss marquetry, concealed drawers or a specific commission.