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TIMELESSLUXURYTAILORING VILLA LA TANAAn Enchanting Villa with an Intriguing Past

TRADITIONAL FLORENTINE CRAFTSMANSHIP From commesso fiorentino to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure

AT HOME Baldi boutique at Harrods

ICONIC PIECESBertone Design, U-Boat

SWEET-SMELLING FLORENCE Caterina de’ Medici to the present day

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On my travels around the world, I’ve noticed how the demand for luxury is changing at lightning speed, and new trends and ways of enjoying life continue to emerge. The tide is turning in countries where luxury-goods consumption has long been part of everyday life, but we’re also seeing shifts in nations undergoing great change and growth.

Our interpretation of luxury is changing in the same way. It’s based on in new perceptions of beauty: now more than ever, subjectivity, preciousness and personalization are held in high regard.

My feeling is that millionaires around the world are stepping away from making purchases for the sake of ostentatiousness; instead they are embracing the tailor-made, customized for the individual. There’s still a certain satisfaction found in status symbols, but the stories behind these items have changed.

All this means that our emotional and experiential involvement in the pursuit of luxury is on the increase, along with our search for originality and personalization. Our values of exclusivity, uniqueness and bespoke are still important, but they merge with a growing awareness of and genuine curiosity about the treasures in which we choose to invest.

This is clear in this issue of BB Spirit, where we celebrate customized Italian creativity and craftsmanship through prized techniques like commesso fiorentino, a 16th-century inlay method so fine that it resembles painting. We also take an in-depth look at Florence’s world-renowned Opificio delle Pietre Dure, a court laboratory specialised in semi-precious mosaics and inlay work established by the Medici family in 1588. We explore Baldi home living with the expansion of the Baldi boutique at the international luxury flagship Harrods in London, the iconic Italian car design house Bertone and master craftsmen U-Boat timepieces.

At Baldi, our focus is on timeless luxury tailored to your personality. Luca Baldi

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BBVILLAS - Villa La Tana 8 - Baldi at Villa La Tana 12

BBART - The Stibbert Museum in Florence 20 - Baldi at The Stibbert 26

BBAWARD - Baldi for Art 30

BBLIGHTING - Uffizi Collection 34

BBTIMELESS - Florence’s Opificio delle Pietre Dure 38 - Commesso Fiorentino 42 - Casa Baldi 44 - Monumental Vases 52

BBINSPIRATION - Couriel Couture 56

BBCONTEMPORARY - Tornabuoni Arte 60 - Boccadoro 66

BBSTYLE - U-BOAT 74

BBDREAMS - Caterina dè Medici 80 - Simone Cosac: The White Secret Garden 84 - Enzo Galardi: Aura of Elegance 88

BBPOWER - Bertone: an iconic Italian design house 94

BBGALLERY - Baldi Boutique at Harrods 100

BBSCENES - Portrait Firenze by Lungarno Collection 108

BBNEWS 112

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Villa La Tana.At the end of a cypress-lined drive lies the enchanting Villa la Tana, on a hilltop overlooking the breathtaking Tuscan countryside. The villa, with its perfectly arranged geometric gardens, aromatic orange groves, and mysterious woods, has for centuries been home to Italy’s most noble and intriguing inhabitants, including the beautiful Bianca Cappello, prized lover of Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici.

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It is understandable why Tuscany’s elite has sought out this peaceful and luxurious villa. The sweeping views from the front of the villa give way to a sprawling park at the back, where flowerbeds are arranged in a geometric design to best set off their irises and azaleas. Bubbling fountains enrich the view and provide refreshment to the garden’s refined visitors.

One such visitor to the garden was the sixteenth-century owner of the building, Bianca Cappello, a beautiful, captivating figure who sought refuge from her disappointing marriage in the arms of Grand Duke of Tuscany Francesco de’ Medici, who bought this villa for her. Finally, in him, she found a cultivated

VillaLa TanaA tribute toBianca Cappello

and educated soulmate. This intellectual woman shared with her lover a passion for alchemy; they spent hours locked up together in the laboratory searching for the philosopher’s stone.

Soon, both Bianca’s and Francesco’s spouses passed away, allowing them to carry out the nuptials they had longed for. Bianca then helped her husband distance his grand duchy from Spain to form an alliance with her home city of Venice. Thanks to their love, the arch enemies of Venice and Tuscany were on friendly terms at last.

The couple’s marital bliss lasted only a few years. After a grand banquet Francesco held at his ancestral villa, within days both he and Bianca fell ill and died, supposedly poisoned by Francesco’s brother who coveted the throne for himself. Thus ended the short-lived yet passionate and stimulating romance of these two exceptional characters.

One can imagine how the tragic couple enjoyed their trysts here in this romantic garden. A quaint vegetable garden is flanked by a grand lemon grove that adds to the enchanting floral scents, while an aviary emits the chatter of content birds. From the garden stretches an Arcadian path that leads to a shadowy wood. The natural beauty of the grounds, manicured elegance of the gardens, and splendor of the villa itself convey an air of tranquility and refinement that even Bianca Cappello in her tumultuous life must have found soothing.

BRONZINO (AGNOLO DI COSIMO TORI 1503-1572), SCUOLA: RITRATTO DIBIANCA CAPPELLO. FIRENZE, GALLERIA PALATINA. © 2015.FOTO SCALA,FIRENZE - SU CONCESSIONE MINISTERO BENI E ATTIVITÀ CULTURALI

RUBENS, PETER PAUL (1577-1640): FRANCESCO I DEI MEDICI. PARIGI, LOUVRE. © 2015. FOTO SCALA, FIRENZE

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Baldi Home Jewels is an international ambassador of luxury accessories and home furnishings.Its products are appreciated across the world for their uniqueness, incomparable quality and strong identity. These distinctive elements have been captured in Baldi’s new advertising campaign that immortalizes a sophisticated woman and an elegant man immersed in the timeless decadence of the Baldi world. Extreme decorations, rich details and unmistakable traits of Baroque style; the two models lie on the Richelieu table, a masterpiece in the brand’s classic collection, one of the most opulent hand-made pieces enriched by a table top in precious rock crystal.

The precious Lifestyle.

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The Bechstein piano represented a savoury challenge for the craftsmen and designers of the Florentine maison. The surface of the instrument was veneered with a layer of precious malachite. A decorative pattern was then made by following the traditional process of Russian mosaic. The bronze details, made according to the ancient lost-wax casting method, have been gilded with 24K gold.With this grand piano, Baldi remains faithful to its mission to offer clients the thrill of a dream: unique and precious “fairy tale” objects, that recreate the luxurious and visionary atmospheres of the “Baldi world”.

All the Baldi collections tell of precious items, at a crossroads between the richness of the past and lightness of contemporary languages.

The thrill of a dream.

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A CLOCK FROM THE MONUMENTAL COLLECTION, 2.50 METRES TALL,MADE ENTIRELY IN CRYSTAL AND 24K GILDED BRONZE.

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A UNIQUE SIDEBOARD IN LAPIS LAZULI AND TIGER’S EYE, CRAFTED USING THE FLORENTINE MOSAIC TECHNIQUE.

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The Stibbert Museum in Florence.Situated in the exclusive area of the Montughi hill that overlooks Florence, the Stibbert Museum and its surrounding park is undoubtedly one of Florence’s most cosmopolitan museums. Gathering over 30,000 artifacts and artworks ranging from historic armory and weapons to porcelain, costumes, furniture and paintings, the Stibbert Museum offers visitors a journey through space and time from Asia to Europe and the Middle East. Indeed, the eclectic tastes and passions of nineteenth-century English collector, Frederick Stibbert, fascinated by the world’s different peoples and cultures, knew no bounds and resulted in the creation of one of the world’s most important museums in applied arts and historical costume.

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The Stibbert family originally came from the northeast of England and acquired its vast wealth in the eighteenth-century, in India. Frederick Stibbert’s grandfather, Giles Stibbert, served in the Honorable East India Company, where he created a successful and lucrative business network in the then-English colony that generated incredible riches. Giles’s first-born son, Thomas, also joined Her Majesty’s army, becoming colonel in the prestigious regiment of the Coldstream Guards. Upon the death of this father, Thomas left the army to tend to his considerable inheritance.

Florence’swealthiestEnglish family:

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He travelled Europe extensively and ended up in Florence, where he met his future wife, a younger Tuscan woman of much lower social rank, Giulia Cafaggi. The two began a love affair and had three children, Frederick, Saphronia and Erminia, before marrying in Malta in 1842. After Thomas’s death in 1846, Giulia bought Villa Montughi and moved outside of the city to better protect her children, now among the wealthiest in Tuscany.

Years later, Frederick left Florence to study in England. These were formative years, during which he developed his passion for drawing and the fine arts, as well as a great interest in the history of costume and applied arts. There, he began collecting historical artifacts and artworks.

Through the years, Frederick Stibbert welcomed myriad illustrious names to his villa in Florence, many of whom drawn by his eclectic collection that was quickly making a name for itself in artistic and aristocratic circles in Italy and across Europe. A slew of sovereigns, politicians, aristocrats, artists and intellectuals visited Villa Montughi, among them the Dukes of Teck, English writer Oscar Wilde and Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.

However, the most illustrious guest of all was Queen Victoria, who admired the collection during a visit to Florence in 1894.

Illustrious guests.

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After coming of age and inheriting his father’s sizeable estate, Frederick moved back to Florence and soon gained admission into the Florentine high society. It was during his travels abroad that he accumulated the pieces of his collection, purchasing artifacts from art dealers, at auction sales and from second-hand shops in places as far as Russia and the United States.

By the mid-1870s, Villa Montughi could no longer house Frederick’s growing collection of armour, weapons, artworks and costumes and, in 1874, he purchased the adjacent Villa Bombicci. One of the most striking rooms is the Hall of the Cavalcade, which unites the two villas and is the focal point of the entire museum: the European armory collection is displayed on mannequins sitting atop 12 horses in a dazzling life-like scene which visitors can still admire today.

Becoming a collector: Frederick Stibbert.

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Featuring lapis lazuli and a tiger eye mosaic, the Baldi Pendulum Monumental Clock is a beautifully rare home furnishing that masterfully combines traditional Florentine artistry with the modern pursuits of distinctiveness and quality.Held up by white Carrara marble columns and embellished with 24K gilded bronze elements, its state-of-the-art Perrot mechanisms are synchronized by an international GPS satellite, in order to assure accuracy anywhere in the world.

Timeless perfection:the Baldi Pendulum Monumental Clock.

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Baldi for Art.Following the success of the first edition of the “Baldi International Art Award” competition in 2014, Baldi again, in 2015, invited artists from all over the world to present a project/sketch of a sculpture which, through a contemporary form of expression, brings art and highly refined hand craftsmanship together. Competing for the award, born as a tribute to Baldi’s ancestor, Vincenzo Consani, a sculptor and important exponent of Italian neoclassicism, the artists were asked to interpret the ideals of beauty which had so inspired Cosani who, with his talent and maestry, transmitted his vision to posters giving new generations of artists an exceptional model to follow far into the future.

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bronze castings, semi precious stones (like amethyst, malachite and lapis lazuli), mosaics and crystals, combining quality materials and the finest craftsmanship. To satisfy its wealthy and discerning clients, Baldi has not only focused on renewing, customising and modernising its line of products, but it has also recently expanded its research into contemporary design.

Just as it did at the beginning of its history, it aims at fostering a relationship between art and artists and at promoting new and original works that represent the sophistication and exclusivity of this Florentine brand.

The 2015“Baldi International Art Award” Competition

Founded in 1867 as the Florentine atelier of an ancestor of the Baldi family, sculptor Vincenzo Consani, a highly important student of the school of Antonio Canova and exponent of Italian neoclassicism, Baldi creates decorative art objects and furniture,

The panel of judges, Luca Baldi and the Baldi company, art historian and critic Giovanni Faccenda, Dialoga Arte and Baldi’s own art collectors and clients, narrowed the talented list of artists down to a sophisticated six: Flavia Canè, Paolo Benvenuti, Giulio Valerio Cerbella, Gianluca Lampione, Li Chao and Gianluca Malgeri. The 2014 winners were announced at the Museo del Novecento in Milan’s Piazza Duomo with Gianluca Malgeri taking first prize for his stunning sculpture “Metamorfosi”.High compliments were also given to Paolo Benvenuti who achieved second place for “Cipresso” and Li Chao third for “Listen with your heart”.The winners received an Abu Dhabi vacation courtesy of the competition’s generous sponsor, Etihad Airways, and a crystal trophy by Baldi. Baldi also plans to produce the finalist’s sketches.

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The exquisite Uffizi Collection was created in 2014 by one of Baldi’s top designers Luca Bojola.The collection branches out into 4 series, each one named after a flower, symbol of delicacy and distinction: Azalea, Dalia, Iris, Flora and Gardenia. The timeless assortment includes a floor lamp, a table lamp, a tray, a candlestick and an applique. Finished with precious materials such as marble, crystal, gold plated and silver plated bronze, these crisp forms are the ultimate expression of Baldi’s pursuit of refinement. Baldi advocates luxury craftsmanship in contemporary furniture using ancient manufacturing techniques such as artisanal glassblowing and lost-wax bronze casting method.

The collection’s clean simple lines exude an image of elegance that can easily embrace both classic and modern interiors such as hotels, private homes, rooms or palaces. Baldi takes pride in its commitment to customer satisfaction, offering a wide choice of marbles and crystal colors.

LUCA BOJOLA, DESIGNER

Uffizi Collection: custom-made eleganceand precious details.

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Florence’s Opificio delle Pietre Dure.From its foundation in 1588 at the request of Ferdinando I de’ Medici to its modern-day position as a world leader in art restoration, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure is one of Florence’s treasures. Its name translates to ‘Workshop of semi-precious stones’, a perfect synthesis of its original function as a place where magnificent artworks were produced not with paint, but sparkling stones. Today, the Opificio is no longer just a workshop, but a museum and state restoration school, retaining its values of craftsmanship and teaching the next generation of masters centuries-old skills with the tools those first craftsmen would have used to produce masterpieces like the commesso fiorentino.

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The commesso fiorentino

or Florentine mosaic was developed in the 16th century and has remained largely unchanged, much like the artworks themselves, whose magnificent stones, unaffected by time, continue to enchant admirers with their rich colour palette.

The technique involves producing a picture entirely with precious and semi-precious stones, hence the nickname ‘painting in stone’. These intricate and often small-sized artefacts adorned courts all over Europe and can

Commesso fiorentinoMaintaining five centuries of tradition.

be seen in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure’s museum, where the techniques and tools of those Renaissance masters are preserved and practised by modern students.

A commesso fiorentino starts life with a picture that serves as inspiration. A copy of the picture is broken down into smaller pieces and the painstaking process of choosing the right coloured and shaped stones is carried out. From here, a paper model is made and used as a guide to cut the stones.

Both the stone-selecting method and the tools used by the Opificio’s modern students are almost identical to those from centuries ago. The cutting instrument is a small wooden worktable with a vice to hold the stone sliver firmly. A curved chestnut twig subtended by a soft iron wire is gently rubbed

back and forth across the stone to shape it. The metal spatula held in the artist’s other hand copies each movement of the bow for a perfect cut.

The same technique is used to produce the background stone negative so the pieces don’t sit on top, but are inlaid seamlessly like pieces of a puzzle. A diamond-tipped file is used for final touches and each stone is glued with a natural adhesive.

After a last polish, the commesso fiorentino is ready to delight collectors and counts with its unaltered brilliance for centuries to come.

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ROUND TABLE IN TIGER EYE MOSAIC; A BALDI INTERPRETATION OF COMMESSO FIORENTINO. Design Luca Bojola

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Baldi Home Jewels has always been devoted to the research of italian excellence, combining modernity with traditional techniques and timeless elegance. Communicating a sense of renewed opulence, Casa Baldi will be presenting at the 2015 Salone del Mobile a series of tables, desks and console tables decorated with the art of Florentine mosaic.

Designed by Luca Bojola, this unique set of bold creations revives a technique that was born in Florence at the end of the sixtheenth century. The finely cut semi-precious stones merge together into custom-made picturesque images where the glistening colors of lapis lazuli and amethyst are nestled into a chiseled frame of silver plated or gold plated 24k bronze.

Casa BaldiCommesso fiorentino:reviving the ancient Florentine mosaic.

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Larger than life: Baldi’s new line of monumental vases.After designing a series of monumental timepieces, Baldi is introducing yet another challenging accessory that will set new standards in the world of luxury furniture: monumental vases. These 1.40- to 2-meter-high giants made in semi-precious stones, crystal and bronze are the result of months of research and innovation.

Designed by the ever-present and übercreative artistic director Luca Bojola, this majestic collection includes three different models available in various patterns and designs to meet the blossoming needs of Baldi’s customers and the increasing demand for unique custom-made products. This new collection will become the flagship of Baldi Home Jewels’ new concept “Museum Pieces”, a statement that once more wants to highlight the company’s dedication to state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, high-quality materials, exquisite design and attention to detail. Each monumental vase will be a unique masterpiece, a towering expression of artistic individuality and classic beauty.

Since 1867, Baldi Home Jewels has been composing visual and tactile poetry, breathing verses of luxury and creative folly into the hearts of homes all over the world. These majestic creations represent the realization of an ambitious project possible only thanks to Baldi’s grandiose aesthetic vision, a vision that delves into a world of opulence, luxury and absolute perfection.

LUCA BOJOLA, DESIGNER

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Curiel Couture.Raffaella Curiel is an intellectual figure in Italian fashion. Her mother, Gigliola, dressed the Milanese and international elite from the post-war years to the 1970s and Curiel followed closely in her footsteps. After a classical education, she studied traditional French fashion under Pierre Balmain. She developed a personal style, designing themed collections highlighting one colour, cut, trend, or paying homage to great painters, authors or foreign countries – all with a contemporary twist. She has dedicated collections to Balla, Klimt, Velasquez, Victor Hugo, India, Russia and Frida Kahlo’s Mexico. ‘She has a thousand faces and could make a circle square, while simultaneously creating the magic of a crystal ball.’

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Raffaella Curiel’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection is entitled ‘L’Oriente a Roma’ (‘The Orient in Rome’). The collection is inspired by the designer’s real and imagined journeys around what is, for her, one of the most beautiful parts of the world: an area extending from Thailand to Vietnam, the Philippines and also further south to Malaysia, Java and Sumatra.

In creating this collection, Curiel drew enormous influence from the dramatic colours of golden dawns and bright, vermilion sunsets, as well as the soft greens of paddy fields and the darker shades of the palm oil plantations which stretch as far as the eye can see. She also took a great deal of inspiration from the region’s colourful, delicate and omnipresent rambling orchids and the darker shades of earthy terracotta and glowing amber.

The collection aims in equal measure to reflect the regal bearing of local women with their sweet, timid smiles and, most importantly, the innate and dignified elegance with which they carry themselves.

The Orient in Rome

The designs which make up the collection revisit the typical, traditional clothing found in these countries, which at times can be so similar and at times so completely diverse. Each item was fashioned using culturally authentic ancient techniques, which display extraordinary creativity and exceptional craftsmanship.

The clothes are decorated with gems and other precious natural ornaments such as flakes of gold, shells, coral, mother of pearl, wood, glass dyed naturally with herbs and fabrics printed by hand and with wax. Fibres are taken from bamboo canes to make regal brocades to wear with humble artisan-quality fabrics which are spun on ancient, traditional looms to

amazing effect.According to Curiel, transporting the Orient to Rome was a challenge which meant bringing about a clash of two very different, opposing and yet equally fascinating traditional cultures. The resulting fusion of vivid colours, artisan craftsmanship, traditional and precious embellishments is nothing short of magic.

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Tornabuoni Arte.The Gallery is located in the heart of Florence, close to the city’s most famous monuments and a stone’s throw from the river Arno. It was opened in 1981 by Roberto Casamonti, who inherited his passion for art from his father.The gallery, with its fresh, modern interior, exhibits a fascinating selection of carefully curated twentieth and twenty-first century works of art, including pieces by Italian artists such as De Chirico, Fontana and Pomodoro. A number of international artists are also represented, including Picasso, Miró, Kandinsky and Warhol.

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The Gallery

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distracts. The choice of white for the interior was a deliberate one: white represents purity, as well as being fragile, indefinable and all-consuming. The gallery’s stunning internal staircase, which connects the different floors, was a key part of the interior design project and the modern white steps and parapet provided the perfect backdrop for the Bianco Italia inaugural exhibition of all-white twentieth-century works of art.

The gallery’s owner, Roberto Casamonti, grew up surrounded by art thanks to his art collector father. As a leading Italian art dealer, he has made a name for himself and his family-run gallery across Europe, thanks to his keen business sense and love of the great masters of twentieth-century art teamed with an interest in emerging artists. Casamonti became an art dealer in 1981 and opened Tornabuoni Arte in Florence the same year.

The gallery quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious in Italy and, following exhibitions by some internationally acclaimed artists, further branches were opened in Milan, Portofino and Forte dei Marmi, Paris and Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Casamonti’s

daughter Ursula manages the gallery in Florence, while his son Michele runs the branches in Crans-Montana and the one in Paris.

Tornabuoni Arte in Florence is located in an historic building near the banks of the river Arno. The gallery was designed and renovated by Studio Archea and is a striking, clean, modern and completely white space. Not only does the décor manage to blend with the building’s classic, historical architecture, the white interior also provides the perfect backdrop for the many works of art on display. The tendency in the modern art world is towards plain, single-colour spaces and a strong belief that art can speak better for itself set against a simple backdrop which neither detracts nor

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Tornabuoni Arte exhibits a wide variety of twentieth and twenty-first century artists. The gallery organises annual collections including international avant-garde twentieth-century artists such as Picasso, Miró, Kandinsky, Hartung, Poliakoff, Dubuffet, Lam, Matta, Christo, Warhol and Basquiat. The annual collections also contain works by leading artists who have earned a place in contemporary Italian art history, particularly artists of the Italian Novecento like De Chirico, Morandi, Balla, Severini and Sironi, as well as artists who are most representative of the latter half of the Italian Novecento such as Manzoni, Fontana, Burri, Dorazio, Marini, Boetti, Ceroli and Pomodoro. Each gallery also holds individual exhibitions featuring either historical or emerging artists, or based around a theme. The artists represented include Burri, Fontana,

Boetti, Ceroli, Pomodoro, Castellani, Capogrossi and Dadamaino, while the themes developed have included Monochrome sous tension, Tout feu tout flamme and Bianco Italia. The gallery is also proud to participate in leading contemporary art fairs every year, including the Fiac and the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, Tefaf in Maastricht, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze Masters in London, Arte Fiera in Bologna and Miart in Milan.

According to Casamonti, only an art gallery can offer collectors real quality and value, especially compared to auction houses. However, Casamonti admits that his greatest pleasure is actually finding great works of art, not selling them. In his own words, ‘I like to own the kind of works of art which others don’t have, that’s why it’s so difficult to sell them – parting with them can be tough. I appreciate quality art, regardless of the artist, and try to buy quality pieces from different artists’. Casamonti is particularly interested in international twentieth-century artists and emerging artists

such as Benetta, Pontrelli and Maiorano: ‘Seeking fresh talent is an important task. I work in partnership with other high-level gallery owners who carry out an initial selection’.

Roberto Casamonti is truly passionate about modern art and this is reflected at Tornabuoni Arte, both in the art collections and in the design and décor of the gallery space itself.

Artists.

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In a unique setting where colours, shapes and materials take centre stage, the Boccadoro Collection has taken up temporary residence at Florence’s timeless Tornabuoni Arte gallery for a special installation-like photography session.

Boccadoro Home Couture:a step towards the future.

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Named after the main character of Hermann Hesse’s renowned book “Narcissus and Goldmund” (“Narciso e Boccadoro” in Italian), Boccadoro Home Couture embodies the union of spirit and senses. Intended as a clear statement of Baldi’s creative renewal, this line of vases, cups, decorative accessories and lamps embraces a new concept of home furnishing: the bronze details are clean, the designs are sleek and contemporary - but there is still a hint of the company’s trademark lavishness.

The collection stands out due to its versatility and gentleness, which borders on the feminine. Each crystal, treated with a galvanic bath in pink or bronze gold, displays a different nuance of pearl: purple, silver, turquoise and amber.

Boccadoro.

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The passion of time.Let’s talk about Tuscany, the birthplace of Michelangelo and Leonardo. A few miles from Lucca, Italo Fontana created the first U-Boat timepiece in 2000, drawing inspiration from a model designed in 1942 by his grandfather Ilvo for the special forces of the Italian Navy, which were never put into production.“My grandfather had designed an impressive underwater timepiece, positioning on the left the time adjusting crown, leaving the wrist free for the movements needed for underwater missions.” U-Boat perfected these features, crafting a unique style. A style that has conquered a large number of famous wrists, including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gabriela Isler, Miss Universe 2013, seduced by a diamond-encrusted Chimera timepiece.

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Is it true that you love extreme sports?

I like to challenge myself to the limit. Even though heights make me dizzy, I have a pilot’s license, I’ve done parachuting and, once, in Bangkok, I threw myself off a skyscraper. But the U-Boat style comes from my greatest love: scuba diving...

Describe a fabulous moment in your life.

Nothing can surpass the opening of the boutique in Florence. For a Tuscan like me, having a showcase on the Ponte Vecchio is seventh heaven!

How much does “Italianness” count?

Apart from the Swiss mechanism, the timepieces are made in Tuscany. Our artisans are so talented that they can go, with ease, from one material to another. The mind is open, because our atelier has wonderful views over a centuries-old olive grove.

Italian genius.

UNICUM U-42 SPECIAL EDITION, INSPIRED BY THE MODEL DESIGNED IN 1942BY ILVO FONTANA. 53MM CASING IN IPB TITANIUM, EXTRACTABLE BRONZE CROWN, LEATHER STRAP. U-28 CALIBER MOVEMENT.

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One of your lines is called Unicum. Do you identify with the name?

Every individual is unique, which is why I designed a line of timepieces that are very different to each other, thanks to a vintage approach. The strap is in hand-stitched aged leather, while the casing, hands and glass are crafted in such a way that they seem to have been worn over time. Some of our silver or gold Chimera timepieces are also products of this philosophy, which have tiny, purpose-made cracks on the casing, set with small black diamonds...

The new models have a button that let you pull out the crown and easily adjust the

time?

Yes, and I believe that this new invention will contribute towards bringing women closer to the mechanical timepiece. I am thinking of the many women who wouldn’t have even considered this sort of watch in the past at the risk of ruining their nails…

OPERA NERA. 46MM CASING IN IPB STEEL WITH SIDE WINDOW IN FUMÉ GLASS. BACK WITH VISIBLE ROTOR.

CROWN RELEASE BUTTON. DIAL WITH BLACK DIAMONDS, WHICH ARE SET BACKWARD ON THE CASING AND BEZEL.

HOURS INDICATED BY BAGUETTE RUBIES.PONY SKIN LEATHER STRAP WITH SILVER FLEUR-DE-LIS

AND BLACK DIAMONDS.

U-BOAT PHOENIX. MOTHER-OF-PEARL DIAL,48MM CASING IN 925 SILVER WITH BLACK DIAMONDS. BLACK DIAMOND SET ON CHRONO BUTTON.U-77 CALIBER MOVEMENT. LEATHER STRAP.

U-BOAT CAPSULE, INSPIRED BY THE CAPSULES USEDFOR 1930S UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS.

HESALITE GLASS, ANCHORED WITH A LEVER SYSTEM TO THE GRADE5 TITANIUM CASING. U-28 CALIBER MOVEMENT. LEATHER STRAP.

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Caterina de’ Medici.Although today France is famous for its perfume, few people know that it was Caterina de’ Medici who introduced this phenomenon to the French court on her marriage to Henry, Duke of Orleans, future king of France. On her arrival in France, the local courtiers wondered why she always held a vial of pleasant scent to her nose; they did not realize the stench of their unwashed bodies necessitated Caterina’s seeking olfactory relief. The French nobility immediately fell in love with these scents and realized that in the court where pomp, display, and splendor were necessary for maintaining social status, perfume was the perfect product to aid in their ambitions.

SANTI DI TITO (1536-1603): RITRATTO DI CATERINADE’MEDICI REGINA DI FRANCIA.FIRENZE, GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI. © 2015.FOTO SCALA,FIRENZE - SU CONCESSIONEMINISTERO BENI E ATTIVITÀ CULTURALI

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Caterina de’ Medici came to France to marry Henry, Duke of Orleans and future king of France, when she was only fourteen years old. Although the dignitaries on hand for her ceremonial arrival were not impressed with her short stature, pudgy frame and double chin, they were struck by one aspect: her pleasant smell. Caterina was struck by the opposite, since the French never bathed. Whenever the notables approached her during the ceremony she flashed an amulet of perfume to her nostrils to disguise their stench.

The French had never heard of perfume, although it had long been prized in Italy. Caterina valued scents so much that she brought her own trusted and renowned perfumer, Renato Bianco, with her. Renato had made a name for himself in Florence concocting perfumes “exclusively” for Caterina, although he sold his fragrances on the sly to Florentine noblewomen, who then bragged that they smelled like Caterina.

The young duchess brought with her many innovations that took French society by storm. She introduced Italian cooking practices so that giblets, spinach, and artichokes became fashionable in the French diet. She was also an avid horseback rider and was the first female to wear underwear to maintain modesty in case of a fall. Caterina was embarrassed by her diminutive stature and so

A Florentine scent.

introduced the high-heeled shoe. All of these innovations at first shocked the French but then became wildly popular.

No contribution, however, was as popular as that of perfume. The French realized that their bodies’ odor could be ameliorated with Renato’s perfumed herbs and salves, and soon there was not a single lady or gentleman in Paris who did not use his scents. Thanks to Caterina and the Florentines, perfume became for the French an element of daily necessity and style. We today are still beneficiaries of this elegance and refinement Caterina brought to France; with our own perfumes we can all be royalty.

VEDUTA DEL GIARDINO. FIRENZE, PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI. © 2015. FOTO SCALA, FIRENZE

EMPOLI, JACOPO DA (CHIMENTI, JACOPO 1551-1640): NOZZE DI CATERINA DE’ MEDICI CON ENRICO II DI FRANCIA. FIRENZE, GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI. OLIO SU TELA, CM. 227 X 235. INV. 1890 N°5470 (RESTAURO 2007).© 2015.

FOTO SCALA,FIRENZE - SU CONCESSIONE MINISTERO BENI E ATTIVITÀ CULTURALI

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The White Secret Garden.The antique key that opens the garden gate of the enchanting Villa la Tana – the same key that lovers Bianca Cappello and Francesco de’ Medici used for their trysts – is now in the hands of Simone Cosac. It is her turn to open the gate to this oasis of love and dreams.

Simone Cosac had a dream in which she was led by Bianca on a sensory journey through the villa’s beautiful Renaissance garden. In this dream, Bianca gave her a bouquet of roses which inspired the recipe for Simone’s first perfume, Perle di Bianca.

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Throughout history, pearls have symbolized feminine elegance. Bianca’s pearls and her passionate love affair with Francesco de’ Medici in the villa’s garden, swirling with scents of citrus and rose, wisteria and jasmine, inspired Simone Cosac to create the Perle di Bianca Line of luxurious fragrances worthy of the true love of this noble couple.

Simone’s dream revealed to her the recipe for the line’s first perfume. In this dream, Bianca gave her a bouquet of roses, the fragrances of which Simone used for Perle di Bianca. Inspired by this bouquet, Simone created all her fragrances to celebrate elegant and distinguished elements of femininity with a focus on Bianca and her aromatic garden.

The Pastinspired the Present

Simone Cosac claims that “the perfume dresses and reveals the true identify of whoever wears it.” With exquisite packaging depicting Bianca’s pearls and flowers from Villa la Tana’s garden, both the Body and Home lines of Simone Cosac Profumi envelope women in elegance and romance.

The views and scents of Villa la Tana’s magnificent garden inspired Simone Cosac’s connection to the beautiful and tragic figure of Bianca Cappello, who five hundred years ago strolled the same grounds Simone does today.

This connection was deepened when Bianca appeared to Simone in a dream and gave Simone a bouquet of roses which inspired Simone’s first perfume, Perle di Bianca.

This scent recalls the fervent spirit of this passionate woman, with essences of the jasmine and orange flowers found in her garden and of the myrrh and musk of elegant Renaissance perfumes used by rich and noble Florentine women such as Bianca.

Simone Cosac

PERLE A PORTERTHEY ARE WORN OVER THE HEART-LIKE CHARMS WHICH RELEASE EMOTIONS.

THIS FRAGRANCE, THE SOLID VERSION OF THE PERLE DI BIANCA OR TRAMA PERFUME, HAS A CREAMY TEXTURE WHICH IS PLEASING TO THE TOUCH.

IT IS COMPOSED OF NATURAL WAX.

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Aura of Elegance.Unique. Delicate. Sophisticated. Enzo Galardi achieves these qualities in each bottle of his luxury perfume. Dedicated to carrying on the tradition of his family, who for one hundred years have crafted fragrances based on the freshest and most natural ingredients Tuscany could offer, Galardi now draws his inspiration from scents the world over: vanilla from Madagascar, patchouli from Indonesia, bergamot from Calabria, saffron from Andalusia. Master Galardi’s thirty years of experience have led to his becoming a legend in the world of fine fragrances. Yet his passion to create, innovate and express the finest quality Italy has to offer only grows stronger with every unmatched perfume.

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It is the 1920s. Jazz, talkies, flappers. Amidst these innovations a piece of tradition was born in the Florentine hills. Guido, ancestor of the Galardi family, was inspired by freshly-cut lavender to create a distinctively natural and Florentine fragrance. He opened a shop in which to concoct his special fragrances: La BOttega Italiana Spigo.

So BOIS was born. For a century Guido’s tradition of excellence has been carried down through the generations. Today, Enzo Galardi is the family’s torchbearer. Each of the collection’s twenty-three fragrances is lovingly crafted from a centuries-old Florentine perfume culture centered on quality of raw materials to create luxurious scents that combine tradition and innovation.

Innovation in Tradition.

Perfume is art. And Enzo Galardi is an artist. Blending the finest essences drawn from exotic and far-flung corners of the world has been his passion for over thirty years. Yet he does not forget his roots: his ancestors were unmatched perfumers in Florence, basing their first fragrances on freshly-cut lavender. Today, only the freshest and best ingredients are used by Master Galardi.

Vanilla from Madagascar, patchouli from Indonesia, bergamot from Calabria, saffron from Andalusian. These exotic essences are delicately combined with flowers that have seduced mankind for millennia. Every bottle mixes careful craftsmanship with the finest products, resulting in a symphony of sensory pleasure.

Art in a Bottle.

An Unbridled River.Enzo Galardi introduces Olfattology, which pays homage to the vital force of water. Water’s incessant flow is a metaphor for our lives. We are like rivers that run towards the sea with all of our life force, with which we can meet and defeat any obstacle that comes our way. It is precisely from rivers that the names of six essences of the Olfattology line are derived.

Olfattology is a line of delicate fragrances that blends the historic with the modern, the visual with the sensual, to create an innovative and unmatched product.

Olfattology is unique.

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Jewelsof Perfume.Baldi’s centuries-old passion for art and beauty is combined with Galardi’s focus on natural, exotic scents to create four unique fragrances whose names refer to the essences of the precious stones Baldi uses to create its Home Jewels: Ametista, Malachite, Occhio di Tigre, and Lapislazzuli.

These luxury fragrances combine scents from all corners of the world, from Mexico to Madagascar, Turkey to Indonesia. Each bottle is hand-crafted, with the Baldi logo expertly chiseled by hand, making each bottle unique and precious.

Luxurious gold and platinum surround the base, and each stopper is a work of craftsmanship, full of the imperfections that characterize such materials as wood or stone. Baldi and Galardi have combined to create precious jewels of perfumery. Unique and timeless essences.

Unequivocally Baldi. Unmistakably Enzo Galardi.

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Bertone: an iconic Italian design house.The “Made in Italy” business brand has seen many exceptional pillars but the astonishingly prolific and quality-driven Bertone is one of its most long-lived pioneers. Founded at the beginning of the 1900s, its history includes some of the greatest automotive designs ever committed to sheetmetal. This iconic Italian design house has continuously evolved and become a modern industrial group operating in the fields of fashion, architecture, interior design and transportation. Throughout this intense century of activity, Bertone has never lost sight of its production’s core values: efficiency, elegance, ground-breaking style and outstanding performance.

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Sporting over a hundred years of quality under its belt, Bertone’s fascinating story goes way back to 1912 when young Giovanni Bertone opened his first carriage manufacturing business in Turin, the heart of Italy’s car industry. Highly regarded for the accuracy, quality and solidity of its coaches, Bertone’s distinctive style has enchanted gentleman-drivers and avid collectors throughout the decades and to this day is considered one of Italy’s most prestigious and internationally top-ranked contract manufacturers. In the mid 1930s, Giovanni’s son Giuseppe “Nuccio” expanded the company into industrial production. Under his bold creative direction, the company designed and fathered first-class bodyworks for Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, BMW and created timeless classics such as the ground-breaking sports model Lancia Stratos Zero, the 1966 Miura Lamborghini 2-door coupé, the charming Fiat 850 Spider and the legendary Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. Historical trend-setter and master of excellence, the Bertone styling house has never abandoned its commitment to exploring the new and ever-changing languages of car design.

Bertone:a history of excellence

MIURA

ALFA ROMEO PANDION

LAMBORGHINI BERTONE MIURA ROADSTER

LANCIA STRATOS HF ZERO

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Under the new leadership of architect and entrepreneur Aldo Cingolani, Bertone Design is exploring diverse stimulating frontiers, without losing its trademark attention to detail and elegance. Not only cars, but a wide array of products that combine timeless style with cutting-edge technology. The company’s portfolio already showcases prestigious projects in the fields of fashion, architecture, industrial design and transportation: Trenitalia’s high-speed ETR Frecciarossa 1000, the hybrid aircraft Project Zero developed in partnership with Augusta Westland, the new showroom designs for leading porcelain tile manufacturer Graniti Fiandre and the upcoming Heroes Skin, a line of ‘60s-inspired leather jackets of exquisite craftsmanship.In light of its accomplishments, Bertone has been chosen by Baldi Home Jewels to create a partnership aimed at satisfying customer’s growing demand for new concepts in decor, interior and architectural design under the banner of Italian excellence. Bertone Design in-depth experience and expertise in project management will play an important role in the development of the “Baldi Concept”, an expression of sophisticated technical ability that assures quality materials, rigorous production and optimal delivery times, for a final result that combines high-tech manufacturing with the outstanding aesthetic taste of Baldi Home Jewels.

Baldi encounters Bertone Design.High-tech quality and Elegance.

“In moments of crisis such as the one we are living in now, passion is the only key to success,” says Aldo Cingolani, the president of Bertone Design.After graduating in Architecture in 1989, passion is the only word that could describe the force behind Cingolani’s tireless climb up the ladder of success. In 2013, Cingolani co-founded Bertone Design and acquired the license rights of Bertone Cento (except for the automotive sector) with a 6 million euro investment plan and an ambitious mission: to relaunch one of Italy’s most renowned brands. Bertone Design is now expanding its activities and has opened branch offices in Tokyo and Moscow. By the end of 2015 its network will include Sofia, Miami, Dubai, Jakarta, Astana, São Paulo and Libreville.

Aldo Cingolani, a man with a vision.

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The City.Swinging London has always been Europe’s center of gravity when it comes to new trends and ground-breaking artistic movements. From punk to fashion, The City has seen it all.

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Walking down the streets of London one is met with a kaleidoscope of architectural styles, art galleries, market places, live music venues, gastronomic hubs and chic boutiques. Established as a trading port by the Romans in 43 AD, this ever-changing metropolis has become the largest city in the United Kingdom. Located on the river Thames, it hosts some of the world’s most established tourist attractions, from the awe-inspiring regality of Buckingham Palace to the Tate Modern, powerhouse of modern art.

London has undergone many changes throughout the centuries, from being the heart of Britain’s colonial empire to becoming the first European city to ever open a metropolitan railway. As acclaimed English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood would say, “There’s nowhere else like London. Nothing at all, anywhere”.

No Place like

London

Founded in 1824, Harrods isn’t only a deparment store: it is a worldwide institution. Starting out as a business of drapers and house furnishers, this family venture soon turned into a thriving retail operation selling medicines, perfumes, stationery, fruit and vegetables. After burning down in 1883, the Brompton Road building was completely rebuilt on a larger scale and, in 1898, Harrods debuted England’s first “moving staircase”.

Between tradition and innovation, Harrods has always been a front runner in redefining standards of luxury. For this reason, Baldi Home Jewels chose this historical landmark as the starting point for its sophisticated collections, which you will find on the second floor of the department store’s luxury area.

Harrods, redefining luxury.

CEDRIC WEBER / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

TTATTY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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In the very heart of London, Harrods – the world’s famous temple of luxury - is dedicating a new and enlarged space to Baldi’s highly decorative creations. Acknowledging the outstanding performances and the aesthetic grandeur of the Florentine Maison, the department store offers a prestigious boutique space for the display of the opulent pieces which have been the trademark of Baldi at Harrods since 2008.With the inauguration of the renewed Home Area in September, the famous Knightsbridge department store affirmed its role as a worldwide flagship for the Home Jewels.Its prestigious new location right in the centre of the London Mall – on the second floor in front of the Egyptian escalator – enables Baldi to fully communicate its essence through an emotional atmosphere where charm and allure are the protagonists.Incorporating the beauty typical for Renaissance for many years, Baldi has given life to remarkable collections, which are unique for both their aesthetic characteristics and the intense and detailed work concealed in every single curve.

The new Baldi experience.

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A stylish addition to Florence’s luxury hotel scene, Portrait Firenze welcomes every guest as if they were visiting their own private and exclusive address. The experience begins at the time of reservation, tailoring each detail to that guest’s specific preferences, even creating a distinctive view of the river Arno and the Ponte Vecchio.

Florentine architect Michele Bönan designed the interior for this latest Ferragamo-owned venture, returning to the theme of hotel residence. Like the hotel’s counterpart in Rome and thanks to the multitude of pictures – mostly portraits – all accurately chosen and purposely placed in all of the

Portrait Firenzeby Lungarno Collection.

environments, Portrait Firenze becomes a compendium of stories, people and emotions from Italy’s golden age between the end of the Second World War and the economic boom.

The ground floor lobby and the enchanting lounge-restaurant are typified by a strong contrast between the white brick surfaces, which give off a lofty vibe, and the sophisticated palette of dark, undoubtedly metropolitan tones. In the hotel rooms, the panelling, alternated with mirror surfaces that open deceptive dimensions, is lacquered in a sophisticated

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greyish, vaguely Wedgwood-esque shade. Vintage pieces, paintings and objects, ceramics, sculptures in metal, wood and marble, lamps, chandeliers from Murano and applique complete the effect.

The nearby Caffè dell’Oro is a chic contemporary bistrot for a relaxing breakfast after a good night’s sleep or creative cuisine at lunch and dinner: an ideal starting point to discover Florence.

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Bâdir Bâdir represents a new frontier in luxury accessories, result of an ongoing love story between Italian and Arab cultures.This unique designer hookah is a story that is just waiting to be told: the rounded steps on its base represent the human will to reach for heaven, the octagonal shape and gem encrusted dome are a clear reference to the opulence of Islamic architecture, the leafy decorations allude to Nature’s gift of tobacco. A modern object for an ancient practice.

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The Baldi bath collection is a one-of-a-kind tactile experience. Spectacular bathtubs made of rock crystal, malachite or amethyst mosaic match with exquisitely manufactured complements such as wash basins, mirrors, towel racks, soap dishes and tumblers.Each design is meant to reflect the client’s unique personality and, thanks to the expertise of Luca Bojola design and Baldi’s crafstmen, each piece can be reproduced in a wide array of custom-made styles.

Bathroom Collection.

Design Luca Bojola

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ALESSIO BALLERI

www.alessioballeri.com

BALDI

www.baldi.biz

BERTONE DESIGN

www.bertonedesign.it

ENZO GALARDI

www.enzogalardi.it

LUCA BOJOLA

www.bojola.com

LUCA DINI

www.lucadinidesign.com

LUCA VISENTINI

www.lucavisentini.com

MUSEO STIBBERT

www.museostibbert.it

OPIFICIO DELLE PIETRE DURE

www.opificiodellepietredure.it

PORTRAIT FIRENZE

www.lungarnocollection.com

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RAFFAELLA CURIEL

www.raffaellacuriel.com

RASCH

www.sl-rasch.de

SIMONE COSAC

www.simonecosac.com

TORNABUONI ARTE

www.tornabuoniarte.it

TRUSSARDI

www.trussardi.com

WHITE, RED & GREEN

www.whiteredgreen.com

U-BOAT

www.uboatwatch.com

BBSPIRIT is a commercial publication, distributed for free by Baldi srl, via Cassia 65h, 50023 Tavarnuzze, Impruneta (Firenze) - ItalyBBSPIRIT - concept, planning and advertising by WHITE , RED & GREEN - Italy - firenze@wrgitaly.com

We would like to thank all the advertisers appearing in this issue for their kind concession of the use of their brands, editorial content and photographic material, which is of their property.The photographs by Baldi were shot by Alessio Balleri, Luca Visentini and Flare Studio.

The one-of-a-kind 5 meter high Palace Monumental Clock is the epitome of elegance and refinement. A triumph of 24K gilded bronze and white marble of Carrara, this unique piece’s base is encrusted in lapis lazuli and tiger’s eye, a mosaic of iridescent amber and deep blue. The four face clock is lit up by 6000k colored leds that change chromatism every five minutes.

Thanks to the ultimate horological technology of English company Bespoke and to a refined GPS satellite system, the accuracy of the Palace Clock is guaranteed.

The Monumental Clock.

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Baldi’s Boccadoro Collection

at Tornabuoni Arte Gallery

for a unique photographic session.