Living and studying in Florence, a city steeped in history and art, means experiencing harmony and beauty first-hand. The AEF logo represents this sense of balance, with the Brunelleschi's Dome inscribed in the square and the circle of the Vitruvian Man, and the lettering positioned respecting the proportions of the golden section.
When it was time to choose an object that represented AEF, we asked ourselves a question: how could we find a synthesis between the need to disseminate the image of the school in the world and preserve our identity and style? The answer came from a small artisan factory located in the heart of Florence and from the creativity of its owner, Elena Dosio.
The place is called “Pesci che volano”, and it is a magical place from which, the amazing fish, in fact, and other jewels stand out: rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches. And as of now, the Accademia Europea di Firenze pin, which represents our logo - the dome of the Duomo - reinterpreted by Elena and her skilled hands, with a modern style but through an ancient technique: lost wax casting, procedure by which the molten metal is poured into the impression that remains in a gypsum casing after the liquefaction of the prototype. This sample, modeled in wax, is in fact, "lost" and not replicable in series.
It is a process that has its roots in the Bronze Age and was used by the Greeks and Romans. For example, among the works of the classical era made with this procedure, the immortal Bronzi di Riace stand out. During the Middle Ages, the technique was progressively abandoned, and then regained its fame during the Renaissance period, thanks to the recovery of the classic aesthetic canons, characteristic of Humanism. The first lost wax casting work of great dimensions of modernity is the San Giovanni Battista by Lorenzo Ghiberti, the bronze colossus of over two meters, among the statues of the protectors of the Arts of Florence in the external niches of the Orsanmichele church. Benvenuto Cellini also used this technique, which he discussed in detail in the "Treatise on Sculpture" of 1568.
Each AEF brooch is therefore a unique piece, a small Florentine jewel, testiment of Italian style and know-how.
