Master coopers of Marsala

March 2008, I was in Marsala in Sicily for a photo shooting at a well-known local winery. A man of the company, speaking with a colleague of his, referred to master coopers, who worked in a shop on the seafront in Marsala. This intrigued me and so I went to see them.

The Casano brothers, two helpful and very kind people but of little talk, welcome me into their shop, allowing me to take some photos, while they continued to work.

The Casano brothers, two helpful and very kind people but of little talk, welcome me into their shop, allowing me to take some photos, while they continued to work.

I was very amazed by the environment, disorder reigned all around and it seemed that time had stopped.

All the work, for the construction of the small 5-liter barrels for Marsala wine, was done strictly by hand by the two brothers.

All the work, for the construction of the small 5-liter barrels for Marsala wine, was done strictly by hand by the two brothers.

"We have a lot of work and we can't find people willing to work", Giovanni tells me, "our company has been operating in the Marsala area since 1945 and every single barrel is made by hand, according to the traditional production processes that have been handed down to the within our family ".

"We have a lot of work and we can't find people willing to work", Giovanni tells me, "our company has been operating in the Marsala area since 1945 and every single barrel is made by hand, according to the traditional production processes that have been handed down to the within our family ".

"We have a lot of work and we can't find people willing to work", Giovanni tells me, "our company has been operating in the Marsala area since 1945 and every single barrel is made by hand, according to the traditional production processes that have been handed down to the within our family ".

The workshop of "Artigiani Bottai" is a timeless space that opens the doors to a world where the relationship between the producer and the product is truly exclusive. I greet and slowly leave the shop, thinking: long live the artisans!

The workshop of "Artigiani Bottai" is a timeless space that opens the doors to a world where the relationship between the producer and the product is truly exclusive. I greet and slowly leave the shop, thinking: long live the artisans!