Jolanda and Cesare Mazzetti have inherited a long family tradition in copper crafting. This is how Cesare tells us his family history:

My grandfather was a farmer at the end of the 19th century. He fell from an oak tree so had to give up  his job & return to Montepulciano. He was good at metal work so he started crafting copper. He used to buy rough copper from a foundry to make his pots. He also used to buy unfinished tableware near Lucca & lanterns in Florence. My grandfather was crafting the copper & my grandmother went to markets to sell it. She used to go to Chianciano, Pienza, Petraio & Torrita. They had a horse calash. After a number of years  they bought the first pick up in Montepulciano: the Fiat 101. The driver was named Lup Remo Cozzi. He died in 2001 at the ripe old age of 100!

In 1903 my father was a young boy. My grandmother sent him to learn the trade with a master coppersmith named Ghiotto. His passion led him to learn how to craft jugs, pots, pans, table wear & artistic plates. My grandmother paid the master coppersmith ten soldos a week to teach him.

That was how the renowned Rameria Mazzettti was born. Their workshop was in Via Garibaldi. Downstairs they crafted copper & upstairs was devoted to exhibiting & selling. Later they opened another branch in Chianciano, Via Roma.

In the meantime Master Ghiotto died. My father bought all his tools, tamps, anvils, forges & lathes which dated back to 1857. I still use them lovingly to craft copper. By using them I have learned how to craft flowers and leaves etc. The forge with its wind wheel is still working to this day.

In 1929 my father & mother married. The years following were difficult times with the painful loss of my grandparents & some of my uncles. My father & brother were left alone. As a result of which, the workshops slowed production. But my father didn’t give in & carried on working copper with my mothers support.

During the second world war fascists forced my father to travel round Tuscany collecting copper needed to make munitions as Italy was short of copper mines. I remember him coming home & saying 'Each stroke given to a jug or pot is a stroke to my heart'.

I was born in 1936. As I was growing up I spent all my time in the workshop with my brother. As there was no copper available we became tinsmiths. At the age of four I was in charge of spinning the pedal forge. We tinned pots for Chianciano hotels. But even this work slowed down as copper pots were replaced by aluminium ones.

My brother moved to Florence to work in transportation. He later became a plumber. I stayed with my father. We did all sorts of jobs. From tinsmiths to electricians & plumbers. When I returned from military service I opened a small plumbing company. Copper had become available again & my father resumed crafting. At night he often asked me to help him as he had so many customers throughout Italy & overseas. I had several opportunities to practice copper works by making roof tiling for churches & banks. Also crafting frames & furnishings for villas, fireplaces and restaurants.

Our reputation kept growing & gained the attention of journalists. When they asked who would continue when he retired, my father replied 'I hope that my son Cesare will leave his company & come back to copper crafting as I taught him'.  This heightened my love of copper & the beauty of creating, molding & chiseling. Subsequently my wife & I promised my father that we would continue the family tradition.

In 1982 my father died. We opened a small copper shop for Italian customers & tourists. It was a great success. The request for our high quality workmanship & products continued to grow. Soon I decided to leave my company to my workers & devoted myself exclusively to copper crafting.

I'm happy that I made that decision. I have huge satisfaction in doing what I love. I work with passion & integrity & my life is peaceful & full of love. I have found the real dimension of my life.