1 day in Vicenza (Italy): 45mn from Venice
A few days before our arrival in Venice, I discover thanks to the paper flower designers that I am on Instagram, that Cartotecnica Rossi, an Italian company, world leader in crepe paper , will be present at the creative fair in Vincenza (Vicenza). They have also invited some Italian designers that I am a fan of. Neither one nor two, I look up where Vicenza is on Google Maps and discover that the city is only 45 minutes from Venice. So I decide to make the round trip during the day from Venice.
Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Diary
Vicenza is on the Venice – Milan axis, that’s why there are many trains that stop there. I opted for the private company italo (13€) which looks like a TGV but trenitalia (6€, looks like a TER) has many more trains and is cheaper, while being just as fast.
Departure from Venice at a very early hour to be at the show as soon as it opens and to avoid the crowd. This forces me to get up at the time of the hens, but the sunrise from the train is totally worth it.
Abilmente, il salone delle idee creative
I am extremely fortunate that the show is being held so close to Venice (in 2021 it will be held in Rome) and that I was notified in time. It would have been too bad to miss it. Moreover, 2 days later I registered for a Zoom with the artist Zack Mclaughlin(more info) where I will learn how to make a bird out of wire and I have no idea where to find wire in Italy. This show allows me not only to see the creations of other “paper florists” but also to buy the materials for my creative Zoom.
Abilmente provides free shuttles between the train station and the show, allowing me to save 1.7€ ahahah. Access to the show costs 6€. I am the first to visit the Cartotecnica Rossi booth. They are very nice and try as much as possible to chat with me in English. I finally have the contact details of their crepe paper resellers in Rome. Two designers are already there and it is Nadia Tolomei herself who shows me how to make a rose.
She is a creator that I have been following for a very long time (cf. her Instagram), I am in love with her roses but she does not offer online courses. To be able to watch her make her rose live is an incredible opportunity. Learning that I am already following her and that I am too much of a fan, not only did she take the time to make a complete rose (i.e. flower, bud and leaves) but she also gave it to me! <3
Take a look at Nadia’s other creations, it’s very different from other designers.
Another designer takes the time to explain how to make realistic sheets. She too has a particular technique.
Having realized, by observing them, that I didn’t necessarily have the right material, I run around looking for thread of the right thickness and special glue.
In any case, it was very good to see creations by real artists. I’ve never seen real paper flowers from other artists and I was convinced that my flowers were too ugly. In reality, I’m doing very well. The problems I was having are also encountered by others, simply due to the material used (the paper is hard at the base, there isn’thing you can do about it). I also saw for the first time in my life other giant paper flowers by Incartesimi, and it made me realize how big they really are and how to make them stand upright.
In short, these encounters have given me a real boost, I still don’t think I’m doing it in a professional capacity, but at least more regularly.
The rest of the show is more focused on other more mainstream activities such as sewing, embroidery, scrapbooking and a lot of things for costume jewelry. There is a bit of quilling here, a bit of porcelain there but it’s rare.
I also found thread for the Zoom course the next day. On the left the bird made by the artist, on the right my version. Zack regularly gives online courses, you can register here
Discovery of the city center
After 4 hours walking around the show, I am tired and decide to take the bus (public this time) to go downtown. For that, the Cicero app is great (JB explains how to use it here). In Vicenza, it’s a little bit different, to validate the ticket, you have to find the unique bus number to validate the ticket. I sit down at the first sushi found (in Italy, sushi restaurants are all at will, it’s funny) to recharge my energy.
Vicenza is a small town, you can do everything on foot, it’s very pleasant.
I start first with the main square, occupied by a local market.
It takes me long minutes to understand that this market only sells… French products ahahha. The vendors seem to be Italian because they speak Italian among themselves, but they are all bilingual and I bought French cheese for JB, in French. Right next to it is a place so peaceful that I sit down immediately to have a gelato. I feel really good there.
Then I visit the Museum of (jewelry): Museo del gioiello di Vicenza. The ticket costs 10€ and I think it’s not for amateurs. You appreciate it more when you know how to make them because some jewels aren’t so beautiful but are technically very difficult to make. There are quite a lot of jewels coming from Cartier and frankly it gives too much envy. There are small technical details that show the total mastery of the jewelers and the perfection of their creations.
The room I find the hardest to understand is the last one with contemporary jewelry that has gone so far that it is more about concepts than being worn.
We end with the current exhibition, with creations that are extremely pleasant to look at by Italian artists.
The church of San Lorenzo in Vicenza is very simple but beautiful, located near a quiet square with many premises.
Not far from the cathedral, a huge statue intrigues all the passers-by
Very tired from the early morning alarm clock, I go back to Venice. By the time I arrive at the train station in Venice, then the boat to our Airbnb, it is already dark.
See you soon for more travel diaries!
Part 2: Practical Tips
- Creative Fair: Abilmente (in Rome in September 2021 and in Vicenza in March 2021): 6€ for access
- Venice – Vicenza by Train in 45 minutes: italo (13€) or trenitalia (6€) one way
