From Tuscan craftsmanship to a network of international partners: how a project of excellence is built
Photo: Storytelling Films
The journey of The Eye of Florence, the project by Paoletti Guitars, the Quarrata-based maker of high-end electric guitars, has come to a successful close. On Saturday 17 October 2026, at Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte, in the hills above Florence, the eight art guitars created by Fabrizio Paoletti, founder of the company that bears his name, were presented together for the first time, before around 150 guests from all over the world.
It is a result that comes after three years of work, carried out personally by Fabrizio Paoletti alongside the company's regular production: the chestnut wood electric guitars that have made Paoletti Guitars a reference in the custom shop world. A project that required constant organisation and a network of partners of the highest level, starting with Art of Guitar, the Dubai boutique ranked among the world's top 100 musical instrument retailers, exclusive international partner since the worldwide launch in 2025, and present in Florence with its founders Nisreen Shocair & Rick Vlemmiks.
Photo: Storytelling Films
The collection is inspired by the eight oculi of Brunelleschi's Dome and was created in collaboration with the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. Each guitar is covered with over five thousand tesserae of Venetian mother-of-pearl, sought out and hand-carved by Fabrizio Paoletti, across the neck, front, back and sides. Set into the back of each one is an authentic fragment of marble from Florence Cathedral, made available by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and worked alongside the Opera's own master restorers.
A fairytale organisation, cared for in every detail. The presentation in the villa's Gallery, led by Igor Bassan, guided guests through the story of the project, up to the parade of the eight guitars and the fireworks to the notes of "Nessun Dorma". The evening continued through the rooms of the villa, with a concert by Ensemble Bisentium and the exhibition of the eight works, arranged in an octagon according to the points of the compass, like the windows in the Dome.
The event was also an opportunity for international guests to experience the territory. Thanks to the partnership with Volvo Car Italia, guests who travelled to Tuscany from all over the world were able to move around in comfort and discover the surroundings of Florence. To complete the experience, a selection of the celebrated wines of Trudie Styler & Sting from the Tenuta Il Palagio estate, curated by Tony Sasa, the estate's Commercial Director.
Photo: Storytelling Films
In the words of Filippo Martini
«For three years this project has been part of our routine, alongside our everyday production. It required great attention on the organisational and commercial side, and building, step by step, a network of partners of the highest level. Seeing guests from all over the world come together for one evening in the hills above Florence makes every effort worthwhile. The Eye of Florence is not a finishing line, but the beginning of a new chapter for Paoletti Guitars.»
Filippo Martini, Managing Director, Paoletti Guitars
