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  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site,is seen here checking the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0492.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A roman column that was used to close the seal the sanctuary around the 5th century AD is seen here in the excavation site of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0202.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0014.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A customer of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel walks towards the entrance of the thermal pool here in in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0862.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A customer of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel is seen here by the thermal pool in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0848.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A customer of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel walks by the displayed archeologiocal findings, on her way to the thermal pool here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0798.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A customer of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel walks by the displayed archeologiocal findings, on her way to the thermal pool here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0791.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: The crest of the town of San Casciano dei Bagni is painted here on the ceiling of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel, a historical palazzo in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0763.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An ancient thermal fountain is seen here in the restaurant of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0759.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A view of the Fonteverde SPA and hotel, which keep some of the archeological findings of the area, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0738.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: The Church of Santa Maria Ad Balnea - one of the oldest parish churches in the Diocese of Chiusi, with historical ties to the thermal waters of San Casciano, served as a resting place for pilgrims traveling along ancient routes, with its origins dating back to a sacred pagan site - is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0707.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Women relax in the Roman "Bagno Grande" thermal bath, next to the archeological excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0688.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: (L-R) Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site, and Ludovico Salerno, a volunteer for the local archaeological association, pose for a portrait by the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0675.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site,is seen here checking the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0491.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site,is seen here checking the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0467.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Pumps divert water that would otherwise flood the archaeological site, here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0291.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: The Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0405.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A shovel is seen here in the archeological excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0274.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site, gives a tour to tourists at the excavation site of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0149.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A woman relaxes in the Roman "Bagno Grande" thermal bath, next to the archeological excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0143.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A woman walks in the historic center of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0087.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A temporary exhibit of the findings of the archeological excavation is seen here in the town hall of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0075.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A temporary exhibit of the findings of the archeological excavation is seen here in the town hall of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0073.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A volunteer (left) greets visitors curious about the archeological findings, here in the small town museum of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0053.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0044.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Two men greet each other in the historic center of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0013.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of  San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0027.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0016.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0018.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0012.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A sign and a photograph indicate a missing archeological finding that was temporary transferred to the Quirinal presidential palace in Roma for an upcoming exhibition, is seen here at the Fonteverde SPA and hotel in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0731.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Archeologica findings are seen here in at the Fonteverde SPA and hotel in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0719.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: (L-R) Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site, and Ludovico Salerno, a volunteer for the local archaeological association, pose for a portrait by the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0673.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Ludovico Salerno, a volunteer for the local archaeological association, poses for a portrait by the excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0629.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site, poses for a portrait by the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0618.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site, poses for a portrait by the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0607.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Late 2nd century AD bronze footprints, in connection with goddess Isis, are seen here excavated sanctuary in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0524.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site,is seen here checking the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0510.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Emanuele Mariotti (center), Director of the excavation site,is seen here checking the site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0373.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Pumps divert water that would otherwise flood the archaeological site, here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0254.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: Pumps divert water that would otherwise flood the archaeological site, here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0242.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: People relax in the Roman "Bagno Grande" thermal bath, next to the archeological excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0123.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: People relax in the Roman "Bagno Grande" thermal bath, next to the archeological excavation site in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0123-...jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: The former clergy house that will become the museum that will exhibit that archeological findings is seen here in the historic center of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0098.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: A showcase of archaeological artifacts with empty slots for artifacts transferred to Rome for an exhibition to be inaugurated at the Quirinale presidential palace, is seen here here in the small town museum of San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230617_NYT-Bronzes-A7IV-0033.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of  San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0038.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0009.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0007.jpg
  • SAN CASCIANO DEI BAGNI, ITALY - 17 JUNE 2023: An aerial view of the excavation site of the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermal spring of the Bagno Grande, is seen here in San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, on June 17th 2023.<br />
<br />
Over 200 bronze statues in perfect condition, ex voto, ceramics, but also 6000 gold, silver and bronze coins were discovered during an excavation at the Etruscan-Roman sanctuary connected to the ancient sacred basin of the thermo-mineral spring of the Bagno Grande in San Casciano dei Bagni, in the province of Siena, Italy.<br />
<br />
The excavation, which began in 2019 under the coordination of Prof. Jacopo Tabolli, has rewritten the history of ancient bronze statuary in the region. These findings make the Tuscan site the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy, making it a significant archaeological site in the Mediterranean. The statues depict venerated deities and their associated anatomical parts, indicating their connection to the therapeutic properties of the thermal waters. The statues' exceptional preservation within the hot spring water has also allowed for the preservation of inscriptions in Etruscan and Latin, providing valuable insights into powerful Etruscan families and the region's historical context.<br />
<br />
The sanctuary experienced restoration and expansion, and during its peak in the 2nd century AD, altars dedicated to Apollo, Fortuna Primigenia, Isis, Hygeia, and Aesculapius were present. Christianization in the 5th century AD led to the dismantling of the sanctuary.
    CIPG_20230616_NYT-Bronzes-M3P-0010.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: (R-L) The recently restored tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, and the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the poweful ruler of Florence who lifted the Medici dynasty and largely bankrolled the Renaissance, are seen here at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A palette behind an altar was used by biologists and restorers to try out the top eight bacterial candidates for the restoration of Michelangelo's masterpiece at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A projection of the history of the local textile industry and the Chinese presence is seen here the textile museum in Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_2895.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A view of the former Nesi textile factory, that went out of business, is seen here in Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
In the 1990s, the Germans began purchasing cheaper fabrics woven in the former East Germany, Bulgaria and Romania. Then, they shifted their sights to China, where similar fabric could be had for less than half the price of Prato’s. Chinese factories were buying the same German-made machinery used by the mills in Prato. They were hiring Italian consultants who were instructing them on the modern arts of the trade. By 2000, the Nesi textile factory was no longer making money.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_2328.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: A Chinese cafe and restaurant is seen here in the Chinatown of Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019.<br />
<br />
Today, roughly one-tenth of the city’s 200,000 inhabitants are Chinese immigrants who have arrived legally, while many estimates put the total number at 45,000 after accounting for those without proper documents. <br />
Chinese grocery stores and restaurants have emerged to serve the local population. On the outskirts of the city, Chinese entrepreneurs oversee warehouses teeming with racks of clothing destined for markets across the continent. Estimates have it that 80 percent of clothing sold in street markets within the European Union is made by Chinese workers in Prato.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “M
    CIPG_20191125_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_1906.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: Roberta Travaglini (61), who has lost her job at a textile mille four years ago, poses for a portrait nearby her apartment in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019.  For the past four years, Roberta Travaglini has been unable to find a job, forcing her to live off support from her retired parents. She says she will not look for work in the Chinese-owned clothing businesses, because she feels uncomfortable there. But she shops for clothes in the Chinese clothing store across the street from her apartment because she can no longer afford the boutiques downtown. Since losing her job, she has survived by fixing clothes for people in her neighbourhood, using the workshop on the ground floor of her parent’s apartment.“When I was young, it was the Communist party that was protecting the workers, that was protecting our social class. Now, it’s the League that is protecting the people, that goes toward the people’s problems. I see a similarity between the Communist Party and the League.”<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostl
    CIPG_20191125_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_1553.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: Sellers of Marini Industrie, a textile company that has survived Chinese competition, are seen here choosing fabrics in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019. Marini Industrie is one of the few companies in Prato that weren’t hit by Chinese competition, by elevating their quality.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191125_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_1166.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: A fabric sample from the 1967/1968 Fall/Winter collection of Marini Industrie, a textile company that has survived Chinese competition, is seen here in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019. Marini Industrie is one of the few companies in Prato that weren’t hit by Chinese competition, by elevating their quality.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191125_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_1070.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019:  Lorena Bertocci (70) chooses fabric samples for a client at Marini Industrie, a textile company that has survived Chinese competition in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019. Lorena Bertocci has been working at Marini Industrie since he was 14 years old. Marini Industrie is one of the few companies in Prato that weren’t hit by Chinese competition, by elevating their quality.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191125_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_0564.jpg
  • TALAMONE, ITALY - 27 AUGUST 2019: A louvar caught by fisherman Paolo Fanciulli is seen here on the "Sirena", his fishing boat, in Talamone, Italy, on August 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
In 2006, fisherman Paolo Fanciulli used government funds and the donations from his loyal excursion clients to fund a project in which they protected the local waters from trawling by dropping hundreds of concrete blocks around the seabed. But his true dream was to lay down works of art down on the sea floor off the coast of Tuscany. His underwater art dreams came true when the owner of a Carrara quarry, inspired by Mr. Fanciulli’s vision, donated a hundred marble blocks to the project.<br />
Mr. Fanciulli invited sculptors to work the marble and set up kickstarter accounts, boat tours and dinners to fund the project. The acclaimed British artist Emily Young carved a ten-ton “Weeping Guardian” face, which was lowered with other sculptures into the water in 2015.<br />
Since then, coral and plant life have covered the sculptures and helped bring back the fish. And Paolo the Fisherman is catching as many of them as he can.
    CIPG_20190827_NYT-UnderWaterMuseum_M...jpg
  • TALAMONE, ITALY - 27 AUGUST 2019: A view at sunrise from the harbour in Talamone, Italy, on August 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
In 2006, fisherman Paolo Fanciulli used government funds and the donations from his loyal excursion clients to fund a project in which they protected the local waters from trawling by dropping hundreds of concrete blocks around the seabed. But his true dream was to lay down works of art down on the sea floor off the coast of Tuscany. His underwater art dreams came true when the owner of a Carrara quarry, inspired by Mr. Fanciulli’s vision, donated a hundred marble blocks to the project.<br />
Mr. Fanciulli invited sculptors to work the marble and set up kickstarter accounts, boat tours and dinners to fund the project. The acclaimed British artist Emily Young carved a ten-ton “Weeping Guardian” face, which was lowered with other sculptures into the water in 2015.<br />
Since then, coral and plant life have covered the sculptures and helped bring back the fish. And Paolo the Fisherman is catching as many of them as he can.
    CIPG_20190827_NYT-UnderWaterMuseum_M...jpg
  • TALAMONE, ITALY - 26 AUGUST 2019: Fisherman and activist Paolo Fanciulli (58) poses for a portrait in fron of "The Young Guardian", a sculpture by artist Emily Young waiting to be lowered in the sea in Talamone, Italy, on August 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
In 2006, fisherman Paolo Fanciulli used government funds and the donations from his loyal excursion clients to fund a project in which they protected the local waters from trawling by dropping hundreds of concrete blocks around the seabed. But his true dream was to lay down works of art down on the sea floor off the coast of Tuscany. His underwater art dreams came true when the owner of a Carrara quarry, inspired by Mr. Fanciulli’s vision, donated a hundred marble blocks to the project.<br />
Mr. Fanciulli invited sculptors to work the marble and set up kickstarter accounts, boat tours and dinners to fund the project. The acclaimed British artist Emily Young carved a ten-ton “Weeping Guardian” face, which was lowered with other sculptures into the water in 2015.<br />
Since then, coral and plant life have covered the sculptures and helped bring back the fish. And Paolo the Fisherman is catching as many of them as he can.
    CIPG_20190827_NYT-UnderWaterMuseum_M...jpg
  • LUCCA, ITALY - 25 OCTOBER 2018: Annette Klein, an art historian and collector of antique earrings, poses for a portrait in her home  in Lucca, Italy, on October 25th 2018.<br />
<br />
Annette Klein, who grew up near Cologne in Germany, graduated with a PhD in the History of Theatre. She is an Art Historian, a collector and researcher of antique earrings. Her current research focuses on antique earrings from the 17th and 18th centuries and their geographical, historical, social and cultural context.
    CIPG_20181025_NYT_Klein_M3_2156.jpg
  • LUCCA, ITALY - 25 OCTOBER 2018: Antique earrings and brooch with inlays of kingfisher feathers (China, circa 1870), from Annette Klein's private collection, are shown here in her home in Lucca, Italy, on October 25th 2018.<br />
<br />
Annette Klein, who grew up near Cologne in Germany, graduated with a PhD in the History of Theatre. She is an Art Historian, a collector and researcher of antique earrings. Her current research focuses on antique earrings from the 17th and 18th centuries and their geographical, historical, social and cultural context.
    CIPG_20181025_NYT_Klein_M3_1974.jpg
  • LUCCA, ITALY - 25 OCTOBER 2018: Antique "Manitas" earrings in gold with carved coral hands and pearls (Mexico, 1890),from Annette Klein's private collection, are shown here in her home in Lucca, Italy, on October 25th 2018.<br />
<br />
Annette Klein, who grew up near Cologne in Germany, graduated with a PhD in the History of Theatre. She is an Art Historian, a collector and researcher of antique earrings. Her current research focuses on antique earrings from the 17th and 18th centuries and their geographical, historical, social and cultural context.
    CIPG_20181025_NYT_Klein_M3_1925.jpg
  • LUCCA, ITALY - 25 OCTOBER 2018: Antique poissardes earrings in gold with blue enamel, pearls and diamonds (center, France, circa 1800),from Annette Klein's private collection, are shown here in her home in Lucca, Italy, on October 25th 2018.<br />
<br />
Annette Klein, who grew up near Cologne in Germany, graduated with a PhD in the History of Theatre. She is an Art Historian, a collector and researcher of antique earrings. Her current research focuses on antique earrings from the 17th and 18th centuries and their geographical, historical, social and cultural context.
    CIPG_20181025_NYT_Klein_M3_1788.jpg
  • LUCCA, ITALY - 25 OCTOBER 2018: Earrings in gold and gold mesh with little turquoises (France, 1870/1880), from Annette Klein's private collection, are shown here in her home in Lucca, Italy, on October 25th 2018.<br />
<br />
Annette Klein, who grew up near Cologne in Germany, graduated with a PhD in the History of Theatre. She is an Art Historian, a collector and researcher of antique earrings. Her current research focuses on antique earrings from the 17th and 18th centuries and their geographical, historical, social and cultural context.
    CIPG_20181025_NYT_Klein_M3_1649.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 26 OCTOBER 2018:  Wooden shuttles and silk threads are seen here at the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, an ancient silk mill in central Florence, Italy, on October 26th 2018.<br />
<br />
The Antico Setificio Fiorentino is a silk mill, located in central Florence within view of the old city walls in the San Frediano neighborhood, that produces the kind of fabrics destined for city palaces and country estates. The mill was bought in 2010 by Stefano Ricci from the Pucci, with an eye to using it to produce fabrics for the launch of a new home collection<br />
<br />
Lined up in rows are the dozen looms that take the slender threads, by now dyed emerald and ruby and sapphire, and weave them into the textiles that form a part of the fabric of Florentine life.<br />
<br />
Silk was made in the city as far back as the 1300s, a commodity to trade for precious materials. In more recent times, the fabric in the gowns in “Il Gattopardo” and “Death in Venice” came from the mill, as did much of Maris Callas’ wardrobe, robes for Popes, suits for Andre Bocelli, and Nelson Mandela’s silk shirts (when he wore one for his audience with Queen Elizabeth II she reportedly remarked, “that’s a beautiful shirt.”) The carmine red curtains at the Villa Medici and the Tribune of the Uffizi were made here. The Presidential Suite at the city’s Four Seasons Hotel is decked out in the mill’s output, as are the walls of the room of the Czars at the Kremlin, and more than 100 red velvet chairs emblazoned with the Kremlin’s golden crest.<br />
<br />
Back hundreds of years ago, in the Renaissance, most noble families had their own looms. But in 1786 the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany took all the looms of the private aristocratic families and put them in one place. They ended up at the Antico Setificio Fiorentino: six of them from the 1700s, hand looms that produce a mere 40 centimeters of fabric a day; they are joined by six more “modern” semi-mechanical looms, from the 1800s, that can produce 10
    SMAS_20181026_NYT_Silk_DSCF5497.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 26 OCTOBER 2018: Samples of silk fabrics are displayed here in the showroom of the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, an ancient silk mill in central Florence, Italy, on October 26th 2018.<br />
<br />
The showroom of the Antico Setificio Fiorentino displays  many of the 100 different kinds of fabric the mill can produce, with vignettes of them turned into pillows, sofas and curtains.<br />
<br />
Fabrics are priced accordingly, starting at about 200 euros a meter and going as high as 2000 euros a meter for lampasso, a special kind of damask so labor intensive to produce only 20 centimeters can be made a day. There are brocades, jacquards, damasks, shantung, satin, moire, rustic filaticcio and stiff, shimmering ermisino. The palette extends from pure “panna”, or cream, to delicate pastels and rich jewel tones, often shot with threads of gold or silver.<br />
<br />
The Antico Setificio Fiorentino is a silk mill, located in central Florence within view of the old city walls in the San Frediano neighborhood, that produces the kind of fabrics destined for city palaces and country estates. The mill was bought in 2010 by Stefano Ricci from the Pucci, with an eye to using it to produce fabrics for the launch of a new home collection<br />
<br />
Lined up in rows are the dozen looms that take the slender threads, by now dyed emerald and ruby and sapphire, and weave them into the textiles that form a part of the fabric of Florentine life.<br />
<br />
Silk was made in the city as far back as the 1300s, a commodity to trade for precious materials. In more recent times, the fabric in the gowns in “Il Gattopardo” and “Death in Venice” came from the mill, as did much of Maris Callas’ wardrobe, robes for Popes, suits for Andre Bocelli, and Nelson Mandela’s silk shirts (when he wore one for his audience with Queen Elizabeth II she reportedly remarked, “that’s a beautiful shirt.”) The carmine red curtains at the Villa Medici and the Tribune of the Uffizi were made here. The Presidential Suite at the city�
    CIPG_20181026_NYT_Silk_M3_3902.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 26 OCTOBER 2018: Punched Jacquard cards are seen here at the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, an ancient silk mill in central Florence, Italy, on October 26th 2018.<br />
<br />
The pattern created in the Jacquard cards directs the weaver, and it can take 2000 cards to produce 1.6 meters of fabric.<br />
<br />
The Antico Setificio Fiorentino is a silk mill, located in central Florence within view of the old city walls in the San Frediano neighborhood, that produces the kind of fabrics destined for city palaces and country estates. The mill was bought in 2010 by Stefano Ricci from the Pucci, with an eye to using it to produce fabrics for the launch of a new home collection<br />
<br />
Lined up in rows are the dozen looms that take the slender threads, by now dyed emerald and ruby and sapphire, and weave them into the textiles that form a part of the fabric of Florentine life.<br />
<br />
Silk was made in the city as far back as the 1300s, a commodity to trade for precious materials. In more recent times, the fabric in the gowns in “Il Gattopardo” and “Death in Venice” came from the mill, as did much of Maris Callas’ wardrobe, robes for Popes, suits for Andre Bocelli, and Nelson Mandela’s silk shirts (when he wore one for his audience with Queen Elizabeth II she reportedly remarked, “that’s a beautiful shirt.”) The carmine red curtains at the Villa Medici and the Tribune of the Uffizi were made here. The Presidential Suite at the city’s Four Seasons Hotel is decked out in the mill’s output, as are the walls of the room of the Czars at the Kremlin, and more than 100 red velvet chairs emblazoned with the Kremlin’s golden crest.<br />
<br />
Back hundreds of years ago, in the Renaissance, most noble families had their own looms. But in 1786 the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany took all the looms of the private aristocratic families and put them in one place. They ended up at the Antico Setificio Fiorentino: six of them from the 1700s, hand looms that produce a mere 40 centimeters of f
    CIPG_20181026_NYT_Silk_M3_3772.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 19 JANUARY 2015: Dimitri Conti (38), founder and CEO of Lionard Luxury Real Estate, poses for a portrait in his office in Florence, Italy, on January 19th 2015.<br />
<br />
The high maintenance costs and the increasing property taxes have  convinced the owners of historical and luxury properties to consider the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign markets, that are the only ones interested. in such offers.<br />
<br />
The castle is listed in a portfolio of 70 castles managed by Lionard Luxury Real Estate, a company founded in Florence in 2008. Lionard Luxury Real Estate has a portfolio of approximately 1200 luxury real estates. About 60/70 percent of the inquiries they receive are for Tuscan castles, while 95 percent of their transactions are done with foreign buyers.
    CIPG_20150119_INYT_Castles__M3_9002.jpg
  • MONTERIGGIONI (SIENA), ITALY - 19 JANUARY 2015: The abandoned Castle of Sapia Salviani in Monteriggioni Pontassieve, approximately 50km from Florence, Tuscany, Italy, on January 19th 2015.<br />
<br />
The castle was built in the 11th century and underwent several changes over the centuries. The last version of the castle dates back the 15th century. Salvia Sapiani (1210-1278), a noblewoman from Siena and protagonist of the terrace of the envious in Dante's Purgatory, lived in this castle. There are 1,530 square meters of interior surface and 5 hectares of land.<br />
<br />
The high maintenance costs and the increasing property taxes have  convinced the owners of historical and luxury properties to consider the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign markets, that are the only ones interested. in such offers.<br />
<br />
The castle is listed in a portfolio of 70 castles managed by Lionard Luxury Real Estate, a company founded in Florence in 2008. Lionard Luxury Real Estate has a portfolio of approximately 1200 luxury real estates. About 60/70 percent of the inquiries they receive are for Tuscan castles, while 95 percent of their transactions are done with foreign buyers.
    CIPG_20150119_INYT_Castles__M3_8917.jpg
  • CERTALDO (FLORENCE), ITALY - 19 JANUARY 2015: Interior of a bedroom of the Castle of Tavolese, in Certaldo, approximately 50km from Florence, Italy, on January 19th 2015.<br />
<br />
The castle was built in the 13th century and was inhabited by Farinata degli Uberti, an Italian aristocrat and military leader, considered by some of his contemporaries to be a heretic. He is remembered mostly for his appearance in Dante Alighieri's Inferno. There are more than 7,000 square meters of interior surface and 62 hectares of land (among which are 14 ha of olive grove and <br />
11ha of vineyards).<br />
<br />
The high maintenance costs and the increasing property taxes have  convinced the owners of historical and luxury properties to consider the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign markets, that are the only ones interested. in such offers.<br />
<br />
The castle is listed in a portfolio of 70 castles managed by Lionard Luxury Real Estate, a company founded in Florence in 2008. Lionard Luxury Real Estate has a portfolio of approximately 1200 luxury real estates. About 60/70 percent of the inquiries they receive are for Tuscan castles, while 95 percent of their transactions are done with foreign buyers.
    CIPG_20150119_INYT_Castles__M3_8822.jpg
  • CERTALDO (FLORENCE), ITALY - 19 JANUARY 2015: The terrace of the Castle of Tavolese, in Certaldo, approximately 50km from Florence, Italy, on January 19th 2015.<br />
<br />
The castle was built in the 13th century and was inhabited by Farinata degli Uberti, an Italian aristocrat and military leader, considered by some of his contemporaries to be a heretic. He is remembered mostly for his appearance in Dante Alighieri's Inferno. There are more than 7,000 square meters of interior surface and 62 hectares of land (among which are 14 ha of olive grove and <br />
11ha of vineyards).<br />
<br />
The high maintenance costs and the increasing property taxes have  convinced the owners of historical and luxury properties to consider the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign markets, that are the only ones interested. in such offers.<br />
<br />
The castle is listed in a portfolio of 70 castles managed by Lionard Luxury Real Estate, a company founded in Florence in 2008. Lionard Luxury Real Estate has a portfolio of approximately 1200 luxury real estates. About 60/70 percent of the inquiries they receive are for Tuscan castles, while 95 percent of their transactions are done with foreign buyers.
    CIPG_20150119_INYT_Castles__M3_8777.jpg
  • PONTASSIEVE (FLORENCE), ITALY - 19 JANUARY 2015: The courtyard of the Castle of Torre a Decima, in Pontassieve (Chianti region), approximately 20km from Florence, Italy, on January 19th 2015.<br />
<br />
The castle was built in the 14th century by the Pazzi, a noble and powerful tuscan family. In 1478 they were involved in the conspiracy (which bears their name) to replace the de' Medici family as rulers of Florence. Today, the castle is a private residence. There are more than 10,000 square meters of interior surface and 156 hectares of land (part of which are olive groves and vineyards).<br />
<br />
<br />
The high maintenance costs and the increasing property taxes have  convinced the owners of historical and luxury properties to consider the opportunity to sell their real estate to foreign markets, that are the only ones interested. in such offers. There are more than 10,000 square meters of interior surface and 156 hectares of land.<br />
<br />
The castle is listed in a portfolio of 70 castles managed by Lionard Luxury Real Estate, a company founded in Florence in 2008. Lionard Luxury Real Estate has a portfolio of approximately 1200 luxury real estates. About 60/70 percent of the inquiries they receive are for Tuscan castles, while 95 percent of their transactions are done with foreign buyers.
    CIPG_20150119_INYT_Castles__M3_8699.jpg
  • GORGONA, ITALY - 27 JUNE 2014: (L-R) Penitentiary Director Carlo Alberto Mazzerbo and President of Marchesi de' Frescobaldi Lamberto Frescobaldi chat in the one-hectare vineyard cultivated by inmates, in Gorgona, Italy, on June 27th 2014.<br />
<br />
Gorgona is the smallest island of the Tuscan archipelago, located 18 miles west of Livorno, which became an experimental agricultural penal colony in 1869.<br />
<br />
The “Frescobaldi per Gorgona” project  provides inmates the opportunity to learn winemaking techniques and job skills under the supervision of the company’s agronomists and winemakers, led by Vice President Lamberto Frescobaldi himself. Fifty inmates contributed to the production of Gorgona, a white wine made from Vermentino and Ansonica grapes planted on the island of Gorgona in the Tyrrhenian Sea, close to the Tuscan coast. The Frescobaldi family purchased a hectare of old vineyards and will expand with more vineyards in the upcoming months. Total production is only 2,700 bottles, but 1,000 of the bottles will reach the US market through Frescobaldi importer Folio Fine Wine Partners, in the Fall.<br />
<br />
Born in August 2012, the Gorgona initiative was financed by the Department of Penitentiary Administration and accomplished through the collaboration of the Gorgona Penitentiary's Directorate and Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi.
    CIPG_20140627_NYT_Frescobaldi__M3_45...jpg
  • TORRE DEL LAGO, ITALY - JULY 31, 2011: Lazia Tiffany, 32, participates at the Miss Drag Queen Italy the contest, the only contest and festival for Drag Queens in Italy, in Torre del Lago. Torre del Lago is well known for being an important gay and gay-friendly summer resort of national and international appeal. It is considered the gay mecca of Italy. A drag queen is usually a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. Generally, drag queens dress in a female gender role, often exaggerating certain characteristics (such as make-up and eyelashes) for comic, dramatic or satirical effect.
    Perfect_28.jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: The tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the poweful ruler of Florence who lifted the Medici dynasty and largely bankrolled the Renaissance, is seen here at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: Michelangelo's rising Dawn marble statue, which adorns - together a bearded Dusk - the tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, is seen here after being restored at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: Michelangelo's rising Dawn marble statue, which adorns - together a bearded Dusk - the tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, is seen here after being restored at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: Michelangelo's rising Dawn marble statue, which adorns - together a bearded Dusk - the tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, is seen here after being restored at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A palette behind an altar was used by biologists and restorers to try out the top eight bacterial candidates for the restoration of Michelangelo's masterpiece at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A palette behind an altar was used by biologists and restorers to try out the top eight bacterial candidates for the restoration of Michelangelo's masterpiece at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A black square of grime in the back of the tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, shows how dirty it was before being recently restored at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: The tomb of Lorenzo De Medici, Duke of Urbino, adorned with Michelangelo's allegorical sculptures of Dusk and Dawn and recently restored with the use of bacteria, is seen here at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A restorer point at at a palette behind an altar where biologists and restorers tried out the top eight bacterial candidates, here at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,” said Marina Vincenti, one of the restorers.
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • FLORENCE, ITALY - 24 MAY 2021: A tourist admires the tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours, recently restored at the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, on May 24th 2021. The sarcophagus is  graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight.<br />
<br />
An all-woman team used bacteria that fed on glue, oil and phosphates — if not flesh — as a bioweapon against centuries of stains, applying painstakingly tested and selected strains to the universally recognized masterpieces of Renaissance artist Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
The team - composed of the former and current directors of the Bargello Museum in Florence (which overseees the Medici Chapel, a biologist with the bio-restoration group at the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, a scientifist of Italy’s National Research Council and two restorers - tested the bugs in November 2019 on the marble floor behind the altar but also on Michelangelo’s tomb for Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. That sarcophagus is graced with reclining allegorical sculptures for Day, a hulking, twisted male figure, and Night, a female body Michelangelo made so smooth and polished as to seem as if she shined in moonlight. The team washed her hair with Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 bacteria, isolated from the waste of a tannery near Naples, and cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta.<br />
<br />
When Covid hit in February 2020, the museum closed and the project slowed down. The bugs got back to the Medici Chapel in mid-October. The biologist and the restorers spread gels with the SH7 bacteria, isolated from soil contaminated by heavy metals at a mineral site in Sardinia, to the soiled sarcophagus of Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino, buried with his assassinated son Alessandro.<br />
<br />
“It ate the whole night,
    CIPG_20210524_NYT_Michelangelo-Bacte...jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: A view of the quality control area of Marini Industrie, a textile company that has survived Chinese competition in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019. Marini Industrie is one of the few companies in Prato that weren’t hit by Chinese competition, by elevating their quality.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    SMAS_20191125_NYT_Italy-Crisis_DSCF7...jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 25 NOVEMBER 2019: Luca Campigli (56),  walks by the stocked fabric samples at Marini Industrie, a textile company that has survived Chinese competition in Prato, Italy, on November 25th 2019. Luca Campagni has been working at Marini Industrie for 27 years. Marini Industrie is one of the few companies in Prato that weren’t hit by Chinese competition, by elevating their quality.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    SMAS_20191125_NYT_Italy-Crisis_DSCF7...jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 27 NOVEMBER 2019: The fabric fabric produced in the Tronci textile factory, a supplier of Marini Industrie, is seen here in Prato, Italy, on November 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3409.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 27 NOVEMBER 2019: The weaving of a fabric is seen here in the Tronci textile factory, a supplier of Marini Industrie, in Prato, Italy, on November 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3367.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 27 NOVEMBER 2019: A woman is seen here at work in the Tronci textile factory, a supplier of Marini Industrie, in Prato, Italy, on November 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3349.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: Signs advertise  Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer  in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3332.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 27 NOVEMBER 2019: Chinese clothes are shown here in a showroom of a Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer  in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3310.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 27 NOVEMBER 2019: A graffiti saying "Here are the slaves" is seen here by the Chinese clothing retailers in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 27th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191127_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3285.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: Chinese immigrants are seen here loading a truck at a showroom of a Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3275.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A man is seen here in a makeshift pastry shop the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3264.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A sign advertises a Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer  in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3241.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer is seen here in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3215.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A sign advertises a Chinese Pronto Moda (Fast Fashion) retailer  in the textile industrial area of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixed a valuable label to their creations: “Made In Italy”.
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3153.jpg
  • PRATO, ITALY - 26 NOVEMBER 2019: A local policewoman confiscates the vegetables sold illegally by a Chinese immigrant in the Chinatown of Prato, Italy, on November 26th 2019.<br />
<br />
Today, roughly one-tenth of the city’s 200,000 inhabitants are Chinese immigrants who have arrived legally, while many estimates put the total number at 45,000 after accounting for those without proper documents. <br />
Chinese grocery stores and restaurants have emerged to serve the local population. On the outskirts of the city, Chinese entrepreneurs oversee warehouses teeming with racks of clothing destined for markets across the continent. Estimates have it that 80 percent of clothing sold in street markets within the European Union is made by Chinese workers in Prato.<br />
<br />
<br />
Italy has proved especially vulnerable to China’s emergence as a manufacturing juggernaut, given that many of its artisanal trades -- textiles, leather, shoe-making -- have long been dominated by small, family-run businesses that lacked the scale to compete on price with factories in a nation of 1.4 billion people. <br />
In recent years, four Italian regions that were as late as the 1980s electing Communists and then reliably supported center-left candidates -- Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna  -- have swung dramatically to the extreme right. Many working class people say that delineation has it backwards: The left abandoned them, not the other way around. <br />
<br />
Between 2001 and 2011, Prato’s 6,000 textile companies shrunk to 3,000, and those employed by the plants plunged from 40,000 to 19,000, according to Confindustria, the leading Italian industrial trade association. As Prato’s factories went dark, people began arriving from China - mostly from the coastal city of Wenzhou, famed for its industriousness - to exploit an opportunity.<br />
They set up sewing machines across the concrete floors and imported fabric from factories in China. They sewed clothes, cannily imitating the styles of Italian fashion brands. They affixe
    CIPG_20191126_NYT_Italy-Cris_M3_3084.jpg
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