Paolo Pagliai
The Florentine Pagliai family has been hand-crafting and restoring silver for over a century.
Today, entering its third generation, this tradition is brought forth by Master Paolo Pagliai. Paolo Pagliai was born in Florence in 1934. After his diploma, he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father Orlando, a silversmith himself, and he began his training at a goldsmith workshop in the historical centre. At the same time he worked in the family atelier, where he learned this precious metal's secrets and traditional processing techniques. After completing his training, Paolo took over the business. Today the atelier, located in Borgo san Jacopo, close to Ponte Vecchio, is a reference point for private clients, antique dealers, collectors and institutions devoted to the conservation of artistic heritage.
Here you can find a team of young craftspeople and apprentices working alongside the master, learning the secrets of the trade, as well as Paolo's wife Raffaella and daughter Stefania, representing the third generation of silversmiths in the Pagliai Family. In the atelier, they carry out polishing and restorative interventions on silver items and antique objects, but they also create original pieces; upon request, they can provide incisions, custom-made items and antique silverware replicas. Paolo Pagliai received the title of Master Craftsman in 2003 and his workshop was awarded the recognition of “Antica Bottega Artigiana” (Historical Craft Workshop) by Florence's Camera di Commercio dell’Industria, Artigianato e Agricoltura di Firenze (Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Craftsmanship and Agriculture). The City of Florence also recognized this workshop the title of “Esercizio Storico di pregio” (High-value Historical Establishment).
