Fonderia Artistica Mariani is one of Pietrasanta’s long-established artistic foundries
Fonderia Artistica Mariani is one of Pietrasanta’s long-established artistic foundries, active since 1952 and known for combining traditional foundry craftsmanship with modern casting technology. The foundry works not only in bronze, but also in silver, white bronze, aluminum, brass, cast iron, and custom-developed alloys, allowing artists to explore different structural and chromatic effects.
Its core process is lost-wax casting, including vacuum casting with the Shell method, followed by cleaning, welding, assembly, chasing, finishing, and patination. Mariani also provides design development, engineering, enlargement, mold work, custom alloy development, packaging, shipping, installation, maintenance, and conservation.
One particularly useful service for artists working from abroad is Mariani’s Distant Work Control system. The foundry allows clients to follow the progress of a sculpture remotely with a smartphone, making it possible to remain involved in the work even when the artist cannot be physically present in Pietrasanta.
The foundry has produced work for internationally known sculptors including Fernando Botero, Igor Mitoraj, Peter Brandes, Karen LaMonte, and others, and its portfolio includes both intimate works and major public sculpture.
Studio Directory
Studio Information
- Studio type
- Foundry Arts
- Location
- Pietrasanta, Lucca (LU) | Tuscany | Italia, Italy
- Address
- Via Tre Luci, 51
- Website
- https://fonderiamariani.com/
- Telephone
- +39 0584 790195
- Visiting notes
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Specialties: Lost-wax bronze casting, vacuum casting, Shell-method casting, silver, aluminum, brass, cast iron, white bronze, custom alloys, enlargement, design development, engineering, molds, wax work, chasing, welding, assembly, patination, finishing, packaging, international shipping, installation, maintenance, and conservation.
Mariani welcomes visitors to the foundry, but they ask that visits be arranged several days in advance. Their published working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, and visits are free. They generally do not accept groups larger than twenty people.
Bronze pours normally take place several times a week, although the foundry cautions that the nature of production means a casting cannot be guaranteed on the particular day of a visit.
For a sculptor working internationally, Mariani is especially interesting because the foundry has deliberately developed systems for remote collaboration. An artist can follow fabrication from another country through Distant Work Control, while the foundry can also provide temporary accommodation on request and assist with packing, freight, installation, and conservation after the sculpture reaches its destination.