Romanelli Atelier

The first time I looked inside the Gallery, I couldn’t believe my eyes; words could not express my excitement. Although I often passed by that front door, I would have never imagined that there would be such an ancient, stunning place with a grand history inside. Five generations of ROMANELLI sculptors have walked through that same door to create works of art: First Pasquale ROMANELLI, his son Raffaello and his nephew Romano, then Folco ROMANELLI, and today Raffaello and Vincenzo ROMANELLI.

Originally, the atelier was a 16^th-century church, later transformed into a sculpture workshop by Lorenzo Bartolini in the early 19th century. He made good use of the vast spaces and heights of the building to work on his most majestic monuments. Inside the workshop, you can still find ancient working tools, such as the rotating square stand at the center of the room, upon which Bartolini’s magnificent monuments were sculpted. Two ram heads face each other hanging on the north and south walls, cranes used to lift the weightiest statues to the upper floors.

Inside the ROMANELLI Gallery you will find a great variety of antique models and modern creations: high-quality replicas of classical, neoclassical, modern and contemporary sculptures and, above all, ROMANELLI’s original models manufacturable in plaster, bronze or marble, that you would not find elsewhere.

Also, ROMANELLI sculpts with absolute skill and precision all types of animals. Animals have always represented an excellent source of inspiration for each ROMANELLI generation, due to the variety of their shapes and characteristics. Thanks to the combination between modern and traditional techniques, unique pieces of art are created: bronzes are sculpted according to the so-called “lost-wax casting” method, carefully chiseled, whereas marble sculptures are hand-carved using the finest Carrara marbles.

Today, Raffaello ROMANELLI, heir to the long family artistic tradition, runs the company and works in the long-established studio on original works and superintends to each ROMANELLI creation. Today, as yesterday, the Gallery is the ideal common ground between client and artist, and is a must-see for art lovers, collectors, architects and decorators, looking for unique and tailor-made pieces.

The studio honors its long-standing tradition as “art workshop” by offering sculpture courses, one-day workshops and customizable studio projects. Classes are open to all levels and represent a great opportunity both for those who want to approach this ancient art for the first time but also experienced sculptors wishing to improve their techniques and skills. Raffaello ROMANELLI supervises every single step of the manufacturing of a sculpture, following centuries-old practices and teachings for plaster, marble, and bronze processing.