| To begin with a bold statement, by some
| |
| | building, Beretta in
|
| estimates 60 per
| |
| | fine pistol manufacturing, Ducati and
|
| cent of the Western world's treasures
| |
| | Aprilia (owned by
|
| are to be found within
| |
| | Piaggio) in motorcycling and Campagnolo,
|
| Italy's borders. Another estimate claims
| |
| | Bianchi and
|
| that Italy exports 45
| |
| | Columbus Steel in bicycle
|
| per cent of the world's luxury items.
| |
| | manufacturing.Of course, high performance
|
| These are astounding
| |
| | sports cars are synonymous
|
| figures. Then again, to anybody who has
| |
| | with Italy's fascination with speed.
|
| been to Italy, these
| |
| | Needless to say, Italy has
|
| figures are not surprising.This
| |
| | earned a racy reputation with the likes
|
| 'geographic expression', as it was once
| |
| | of Alfa Romero,
|
| called, is
| |
| | Maserati and Ferrari to name a few
|
| essentially one giant museum of fine
| |
| | manufacturers.Design does not begin and
|
| living. By now, many of
| |
| | end with form in Italy. In car
|
| us are familiar with much of what Italy
| |
| | manufacturing, for example, it includes
|
| is famous for - from
| |
| | all the tiny pieces of
|
| the fine arts of film, fashion,
| |
| | metal that create the whole
|
| architecture and music to its
| |
| | machine-cranks and blocks,
|
| highly regarded and world renowned
| |
| | hydraulic lifters, cam shafts, bearing
|
| culinary heritage with
| |
| | caps, breaks and gear
|
| espresso, wine, cheese and gelato. Their
| |
| | boxes and countless other pieces. These
|
| sports culture,
| |
| | are definitely not
|
| littered with international successes,
| |
| | your run-of-the-mill machine-shop
|
| should not be
| |
| | components that make a
|
| underestimated either.However, there is
| |
| | car go- they are works of high quality
|
| another side of Italy that does not get
| |
| | art that complement
|
| as
| |
| | the design geniuses of Pininfarina,
|
| much attention: The artful ability to
| |
| | Zagato and Michelotti.Nor does it end
|
| create works of art from
| |
| | with moveable objects with an engine. One
|
| cold, uninspiring elements of the
| |
| |
|
| post-industrial age - metal
| |
| | would think that manufacturing bicycles
|
| and steel. Italy is not only a purveyor
| |
| | does not demand
|
| of 'la dolce vita' or the
| |
| | technical innovation, but do not tell
|
| finer, sweeter things in life, but is
| |
| | that to cycling-mad Italy.
|
| equally an innovator in the
| |
| | Primary materials in aerodynamic bicycle
|
| harder, sharper elements of it.Italy
| |
| | manufacturing
|
| brought its industrial and manufacturing
| |
| | include carbon fibre, titanium, exotic
|
| base to new
| |
| | steel and aluminum
|
| heights during the 20th century. By
| |
| | alloys.Lastly (and worth mentioning), in
|
| applying creative and
| |
| | the land where the
|
| elegant design to industrial machinery
| |
| | Etruscans, Romans and Renaissance
|
| mainly in the cities of
| |
| | Humanists were
|
| Torino and Milano, Italy quickly
| |
| | born, Italy was among the first European
|
| distinguished itself in the
| |
| | nations to offer
|
| post-war years as a dominant global
| |
| | their engineering know-how in space
|
| trendsetter in
| |
| | exploration through
|
| industrial and manufacturing
| |
| | the Italian Space Agency. Together with
|
| design.Today, Italy ranks 7th in the
| |
| | NASA, the Italian
|
| world in industrial and
| |
| | Space Agency takes part in various
|
| manufacturing output. It is a nation
| |
| | development projects.
|
| that conceives
| |
| | The ultimate recognition of Italy's
|
| performance in both man and machine. The
| |
| | presence in the
|
| Futurist Art
| |
| | post-industrial age.After enjoying a
|
| movement is a marvelous example of
| |
| | fine Italian lunch, when asked what sets
|
| this.For those bemoaning today's global,
| |
| | Italians apart from most cultures, a
|
| mechanized
| |
| | French-Canadian
|
| cookie-cutter approach to manufacturing,
| |
| | restaurateur once told me in casual
|
| look no farther
| |
| | conversation, that
|
| than Italy; it is home to hundreds, if
| |
| | Italians do not just make espresso. They
|
| not thousands of
| |
| | make the machine
|
| companies, family dynasties and small
| |
| | to perfect it. They also make the knives
|
| shops devoted to
| |
| | and metalwork to cut
|
| the craftsmanship of the forgotten art
| |
| | their culinary creations and they
|
| of small details.Metal? Steel? These are
| |
| | produce the machines to
|
| not things we usually associate
| |
| | perfect the shoe. They are, in today's
|
| with Italy. When we think about Italy it
| |
| | global economy, fully
|
| immediately conjures
| |
| | integrated artists.An appropriate
|
| up romantic and picturesque images of
| |
| | analogy would be in film. A director's
|
| Capri or world class
| |
| | artistic
|
| ski resorts. Steel, and its efficient
| |
| | vision imprints his or her distinctive
|
| application of it, normally
| |
| | style on the story. The
|
| brings to mind other economic powers
| |
| | great Italian director, Federico
|
| like Germany,
| |
| | Fellini, left his fingerprint on
|
| Britain, Japan and the United States.
| |
| | every film he made that broke with
|
| Italy? Really?Really. It is a side of
| |
| | classical styles during
|
| Italy I personally never paid close
| |
| | that period. In a way, Italy's great
|
| attention to and was slow to realize.
| |
| | industrial designers have
|
| Buoyed by innovative
| |
| | left a legacy reminiscent of Fellini. In
|
| and avant-garde engineers that perfected
| |
| | this light, perhaps
|
| Italian industrial
| |
| | those figures mentioned and their
|
| design, some of the most famous names in
| |
| | achievements on the
|
| Italy are
| |
| | onset are not that surprising.Perhaps a
|
| manufacturing legends. They include
| |
| | detailed book about this subject should
|
| Piaggio (makers of
| |
| | be
|
| the iconic Vespa scooters) in airplane
| |
| | considered?
|
