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The Fonderia Artistica Mariani was set up in 1952 by its young founder, Claudio Mariani, who had learned the trade in the craftsmen\'s workshops of Pietrasanta. As it was then, the foundry’s production is still aimed at the artistic sector, working only on commission and not accepting mass production jobs.
In 1974, Mariani’s niece, Cristina Alberti Agolini, and Adolfo Agolini joined the foundry’s management.
They took the fundamental step of introducing an innovative "shell" or "ceramic" casting system which, along with the use of dips into extremely fine ceramic, allows perfect copies to be made. For this reason great artists come here to prepare their works and bring them to their final state. Mariani’s staff has doubled since 1974 with the help of his son, Nicola, with 95% of production going to the artistic sector. Apart from working with artists themselves, the foundry has collaborated with Museums (e.g. the Carlberg Fondet in Denmark) and the Monuments and Italian government’s Fine Arts Office (e.g. in the reconstruction of the sculptures on the exterior of the Orsanmichele church in Florence).
One of its most recent works has been the production of the bronze doors designed by J. Mitoraj for the Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli in Rome.
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