We live in a modern world; one where we communicate by text messages, watch more t.v. than we should, and rush around the day with barely enough time to breathe. But no matter how dependent on technology we become and how fast paced our lives are, something deep within us craves beauty.
Whether it be in our homes, our gardens, our churches, we want more than just concrete and slab, and that is perhaps what makes Fantini Mosaici so relevant in today’s world. Through their use of impeccable workmanship and dedication to this ancient art form, the Fantini company has helped palaces, boutiques, private residences, and many other places around the world, become more beautiful.
Domenico Fantini, the company’s founder, began to work as a local mosaic artisan in Milano, Italy in 1900. Using the finest materials, and techniques that date back to the ancient Romans and Greeks, he established the fundamental framework that is still being employed by its workforce to this day.
Domenico’s big break came when he was commissioned to provide the flooring for the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milano. Fantini continued to grow his company with other large scale jobs that included the Università Cattolica and the Università Agraria. In 1969, a new generation of Fantinis which included Italo (Domenico’s son), Marco, Andrea, and today’s current CEO, Enrico Fantini, eventually took over the business.
From its humble beginnings, Fantini Mosaici is today an international enterprise with over 200 employees. Despite its tremendous success, the company still manages to maintain that small family business feel as even the CFO is Enrico’s mother, Ersilia Fantini, who oversees their massive financial department. And while many family businesses are often fraught with internal conflict and envy, the Fantinis remain close-knit, and are able to thrive by maintaining one significant philosophy- a dedication to providing a superior product for their clientele. Andrea Falconi, the Sales Director, who is responsible for the business in the West Coast, said, “There’s a strong foundation that has been passed down by the forefathers. This passion and love for their work is so strong, it’s in their DNA.”
Another challenge that many family businesses face is that often the family members become the center of attention while the products fall by the wayside. This is not the case with Fantini. The mosaics are the epicenter of this family enterprise. Whereas so many products these days are mass produced in factories, the Fantini’s final projects are a stunning display of both art and engineering, and of painstaking attention to detail and quality.
In fact, the process of installation has not changed since its early days. Yes, computers have helped with the designing process but the actual techniques, and even the glue have been around for thousands of years. “We cut the tiles by hand, we place them, using the same techniques used by the Greeks and Romans 2000 years ago. All of the hues or colors, la sfumatura, you can see,” Falconi stated, as he explained the uniqueness of each finished product. For example, all these factors help make a tulip in the center of a terrazzo appear lifelike and vibrant.
With the company in existence for four generations, this type of experience and knowledge has given their business a competitive edge in a world where companies often come and go within months. It is this type of expertise which has helped create tremendous demand. With a clientele that includes world leaders, CEOs, and royalty, one of their crowning achievements, and most massive undertakings came in 2003 when they began work on the La Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, also referred to as the Mosque of Flowers. Completed in 2008, the end result is a stunning display of flora, all intricately inlaid with the use of pebblestone, semi-precious stones, and gold inlay.
Not one to rest on their laurels, Fantini latest projects includes the New Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi and the Versace boutiques worldwide. The Italian designer, Gianni Versace, was pivotal in introducing Fantini Mosaici stateside, as he had commissioned them to work on his mansion turned hotel.
With an office located in Newport Beach, Fantini is bringing their artistry to private residences and businesses in California. “We renovated the entire master bath with an Italian marble and mosaic, a marble mosaic carpet in the corridor and the swimming pool with glass and gold mosaic,” Falconi explained, describing a recent job in Palos Verdes. Fantini is involved with the entire process from design to installation. “The majority of competitors do not do installation. We do a project well with stunning results.”
In an age where so many companies spend millions on advertisement, and try to always go the faster and cheaper route, Fantini has maintained a dominating presence both in business and in art. Instead of looking ahead to the future, they have looked to the past, at their great grandfather for inspiration, and it is the quality of their work that has reigned supreme. As Andrea Falconi stated, “Our best marketing resides on the many iconic projects we have done worldwide for more than a century, where our craftsmanship and attention to detail speak for themselves.”
For more information, go to www.FantiniMosaici.com
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