Walking through Vello, a part of Marone village nestled between the lake and the rocks, you’ll feel as though you’re breathing in the daily rhythms of its few residents, gently interrupted by the quiet presence of slow tourism.
Here, where the lake kisses the walkway and sunlight reflected from the water enters directly into the homes, you’ll find a small ceramic studio worth to be discovered. It’s called Casa di Vello, the atelier of Silvia Armanini, who, after working for several years in Paris, found the perfect source of inspiration for her creations right here.
Silvia, an art historian and sculptor, works with white earthenware and sometimes porcelain to craft everyday objects like centrepieces, small plates, cups, earrings, pins and vases, as well as decorative pieces such as sculptures and relief artworks. Each item is shaped on the wheel or with hand modelling or also on the slab and decorated using various techniques, featuring recurring colours and motifs that seem to tell lived stories or evoke images inspired by the lake.
Among these motifs, you’ll surely recognize a pair of chairs, sage leaves, and female faces, tied to personal memories. Then come stylized subjects drawn from the surroundings: floral decorations, houses and stilt dwellings overlooking deep blue waters, lit by golden yellow strokes that suggest sunlight. Many pieces are created in an expressive and playful style, almost like chalk drawings or coloured pencil sketches.
Don’t hesitate to choose a souvenir from this small atelier, as each time you will look at it, your thoughts will return to the magnificent landscape of Vello and Iseo Lake.
Where to find it:
Casa di Vello (by Silvia Armanini)
Via Provinciale, 16 – Vello di Marone
Instagram: casadivello
Email: silviarennes@libero.it
Phone: +33 608459692
