In order to build up his shoulder strength, Mecella spent several hours a day dipping and lifting a large iron plate from the vat. He scooped up a film of pulp and learned how to hold it level for as long as possible, mocking the vatman's stroke. He became totally engaged with paper, and has become the museum's leading papermaking figure in terms of experience and technical ability. Mecella's duties there are various, working as the main lavorente (vatman) for the museum's sheet production; offering demos at the vat for tourists, students, and visitors; and producing custom-made stationary items for the museum shop. He also supervises technical aspects regarding both the maintenance and upgrading of the various machinery involved in the papermaking process, including the antique sizing machine and the huge drying cylinder. In addition, he designed a new Hollander beater. Over his thirty years of activity at the museum, Mecella has worked as an educator, offering direct contact with the papermaking process to more than 10,000 students. Since 1998 he has collaborated with the museum's director, Giorgio Pellegrini, supporting Fabriano Paper/Print/Book inresidence courses that take place in the summer for American college students and artists. He has collaborated with engraver Franco Librari in making chiaroscuro (light and shade) and in chiaro (line) watermarks using ON Luigi Mecella: Italian Inventor and Papermaker roberto mannino Luigi Mecella and his raw hemp; his home is seen in the background. All photos courtesy of the author and taken in 2016. winter 2016 - 43 the electroplating method to create die punches. Mecella also has shown interest in local fibers, experimenting with artichoke fiber, alfalfa grass, wheat bran, and straw rush, making what he calls "ecological papers" for stationery use. Luigi Mecella is a generous and energetic person, a straightforward kind of guy, with amazing abilities as a traditional papermaker, educator, and technical studio manager. He is a bit of a workaholic, well versed in chemistry, mechanics, and electronics. He continues to experiment with the dynamics of fiber and water, and follows his own curiosity to create the highest quality paper in his personal studio practice. Mecella recently received an important recognition of his career as Master of Arts and Crafts from the Cologni Foundation at the Milan Triennial. I visited Luigi Mecella in Argignano, in the countryside near Fabriano, where his latest project, Opificio del Libro, is taking shape around his home, on his land, and in his studio. This project involves the creation of a complete filiera (production chain) on site, a sort of all-in-one "zero miles" activity, covering all steps involved from papermaking through book making. Mecella is growing indigenous fibers, processing the plants by following local traditional methods (i.e., cooking in ashes), sheet forming on a refurbished cylinder mould machine, and using the resulting paper to letterpress print and bind filo refe (sewn signature) folios into books. Mecella aims to maintain the highest standards of quality in each manual and mechanical craft involved. A bookbinding lab is being organized on the ground floor near the existing printing area. Beating and sheet forming take place in a separate, adjacent building. Mecella works and dialogues constantly with the publisher Sergio Belfioretti, Mecella's partner, artistic advisor, and editorial director. Belfioretti has developed an impressive ability to conduct each step of limited-edition editorial work, mostly focusing on Italian cultural traditions. He is fully convinced that the roots of Italian creativity are to be found in the high quality of its craftmen and that this cultural heritage should be the core of any new project. Belfioretti's editions are in the collections of the public libraries of Madrid, Berlin, Paris, Japan, and in the Vatican Library. Belfioretti and Mecella are both enthusiasts of the cylinder mould-made papers, preferring them over handmade sheets. They find mould-made papers to be more homogeneous, robust, and resistant to surface scraping, qualities that make them very reliable in the printing process. Exquisite care is being taken to adapt Mecella's papers for Belfioretti's letterpress impressions, in collaboration with Arnaldo D'Atri, a letterpress printer based in Gubbio. with Arnaldo D'Atri, a letterpress printer based in Gubbio. For letterpress and watercolor paper production, Mecella has For letterpress and watercolor paper production, Mecella has customized an impressive 25-foot-long cylinder mould machine, customized an impressive 25-foot-long cylinder mould machine, eliminating its drying segment. His watercolor sheet production eliminating its drying segment. His watercolor sheet production (up to 600 grams per square meter) is formed on the mould (up to 600 grams per square meter) is formed on the mould machine, then either loft-dried or dried on the low-speed cylinder machine, then either loft-dried or dried on the low-speed cylinder dryer. His wife Paola Silvestrini often helps in the studio, pulling dryer. His wife Paola Silvestrini often helps in the studio, pulling the damp sheets off the felt belt along the tearing line at the end of the damp sheets off the felt belt along the tearing line at the end of the production loop. Mecella is convinced that his mould machine, the production loop. Mecella is convinced that his mould machine, thanks to some readjustments he has made, is capable of minimal thanks to some readjustments he has made, is capable of minimal grain direction, even more consistent than the handmade papers that he makes at the vat. He has also developed his own grain direction, even more consistent than the handmade papers that he makes at the vat. He has also developed his own recipe for a fully vegetable internal sizing. Mecella enjoys recipe for a fully vegetable internal sizing. Mecella enjoys and appreciates the natural side of his craft, avoiding and appreciates the natural side of his craft, avoiding most of the chemistry tricks associated with modern most of the chemistry tricks associated with modern papermaking. He aims to create the best possible paper papermaking. He aims to create the best possible paper from a combination of traditional and pre-industrial from a combination of traditional and pre-industrial practices, without any use of fillers. His studio has basic, practices, without any use of fillers. His studio has basic, massive machinery: a 15-pound beater, a 5,000 PSI press, massive machinery: a 15-pound beater, a 5,000 PSI press, large vats, a giant hot-air drying cylinder, a filo-refe (sewn large vats, a giant hot-air drying cylinder, a filo-refe (sewn signature) binding machine, a guillotine, and the 25-footlong signature) binding machine, a guillotine, and the 25-footlong cylinder mould machine. cylinder mould machine. Perhaps moved by the nostalgia inherent in such Perhaps moved by the nostalgia inherent in such memories or perhaps because of the amazing properties memories or perhaps because of the amazing properties of hemp as a fiber, Luigi Mecella is starting up local hemp of hemp as a fiber, Luigi Mecella is starting up local hemp production behind his house. He recalls in the 1960s when production behind his house. He recalls in the 1960s when his family kept homegrown hemp retting for months in a his family kept homegrown hemp retting for months in a pool on the hill facing his house. Fibers were scutched, pool on the hill facing his house. Fibers were scutched, separating the woody stem from flax fibers; the canapuli separating the woody stem from flax fibers; the canapuli (shives) of the hemp stalk were then easily removed. The (shives) of the hemp stalk were then easily removed. The long and tow fibers were washed for one day in the local river, long and tow fibers were washed for one day in the local river, then dried in the sun to bleach for ten days, being turned then dried in the sun to bleach for ten days, being turned every day. Fibers were spun into thread and woven into every day. Fibers were spun into thread and woven into textiles for such things as table covers, curtains, corredi (heirlooms) textiles for such things as table covers, curtains, corredi (heirlooms) that are still on display around his house. Italy was the leading that are still on display around his house. Italy was the leading European country in the production of hemp as a textile fiber European country in the production of hemp as a textile fiber up to World War II. The introduction of synthetic fibers and the up to World War II. The introduction of synthetic fibers and the strict legislation ruling hemp's cultivation made such widespread strict legislation ruling hemp's cultivation made such widespread activity disappear, an important economic and cultural loss for the activity disappear, an important economic and cultural loss for the local population. While papermaking in Fabriano is traditionally local population. While papermaking in Fabriano is traditionally done with cotton—well suited for obtaining crisp watermarks, and done with cotton—well suited for obtaining crisp watermarks, and excellent for watercolor, intaglio, and letterpress printing—Mecella excellent for watercolor, intaglio, and letterpress printing—Mecella plans on combining up to thirty percent hemp with cotton to give plans on combining up to thirty percent hemp with cotton to give his paper better strength and structure. his paper better strength and structure. Luigi Mecella's mission now is to simplify, focus, and control Luigi Mecella's mission now is to simplify, focus, and control all aspects of the papermaking/printmaking/bookbinding process, all aspects of the papermaking/printmaking/bookbinding process, from the plant to the book, within this single location, his studio. from the plant to the book, within this single location, his studio. He will grow indigenous bast fibers, harvest them, clean them, He will grow indigenous bast fibers, harvest them, clean them, sunbleach them, cook them in ashes from local woods, beat them sunbleach them, cook them in ashes from local woods, beat them in his Hollander, add vegetable sizing, feed the pulp into his in his Hollander, add vegetable sizing, feed the pulp into his cylinder mould machine, press the post, loft dry the sheets, feed cylinder mould machine, press the post, loft dry the sheets, feed the sheets into the Heidelberg cylinder letterpress, pass the printed the sheets into the Heidelberg cylinder letterpress, pass the printed folios to the bookbinding area next door, where they will be hand folios to the bookbinding area next door, where they will be hand bound in volumes with leather covers. All this, from the planted bound in volumes with leather covers. All this, from the planted seeds to the final printed book, done within zero miles distance, seeds to the final printed book, done within zero miles distance, every aspect of the process performed with care and attention. every aspect of the process performed with care and attention.
