Gilding Secrets of the Renaissance: A Hands-On Gold Leaf Workshop at a sculptor's studio in Chianti

Ever wondered how Florentine masters made their artworks glow? In this workshop, you’ll wield gold leaf like a Medici-era artisan—and take home your own gilded treasure!

Why Gold Leaf? A Flashy History

• The Ultimate Status Symbol: A single book gilded with gold leaf could cost more than a Tuscan farmhouse in the 1500s. The Medici flaunted their wealth by coating everything from frames to furniture in it.

• Sacred Bling: Florentine churches used gold leaf to create heavenly light effects—when candlelit, altarpieces literally shimmered like divine visions.

Your Gilding Adventure

• Become a Apprentice

- Learn why rabbit-skin glue (yes, real rabbits) was the Renaissance superglue for gold leaf.
- Handle tools unchanged since Brunelleschi’s day—including agate burnishers that polish gold to a mirror finish.

• Create Your Masterpiece

- Gild a paperweight (choose from Florentine designs: lilies, fleur-de-lis, or Medici crests).
- Play with fake gold leaf first (even masters practiced on copper!).

• Take Home the Gold

- Your finished piece (no alchemy required).
- Bragging rights for mastering a technique that funded the Renaissance.

Workshop Details

• Duration: 2 hours

• Group Size: 1-10 people (even solo artists welcome!)

Fun Fact

Gold leaf is so thin, a single gram can cover a whole dining table—yet it’s durable enough to last centuries (unlike your iPhone).

"Gilding isn’t decoration—it’s alchemy. Turn base materials into gold… without the medieval jail time."

Why Book?

• Touch real 24k gold leaf (Instagram gold!)

• Learn why gilding was Florence’s real golden age

• Small groups = hands-on coaching

Pricing (includes all materials):

• 1 Guest: €159

• 2 -10 Guests: €125 each