Lucia Arena, owner of the historic shop, told the secrets of her trade to Rai’s microphones
VITERBO – Rai returns to talk about Tuscia, this time setting foot in the capital again, more precisely in Piazza Dante, where Lucia Arena of the historic Legatoria Viali is waiting for the host of the “Fuori Porta” program.
His historic workshop has its roots in the past, until 1891 when it was founded by the Viali family. Now, with the characteristic patience that distinguishes her and makes her perfect for this highly precise work, Lucia Arena transports bookbinding from the past to the future, often hosting groups of tourists and curious people who come to her to explore this precious artisanal work of another time.
“When we entered this place we were immediately captured by its atmosphere, even though we didn’t know the trade at the time. After 28 years we understood the complexity of the book and we were increasingly fascinated by it”, declares Lucia Arena.
On a daily basis, Lucia Arena takes care of the restoration of ancient books and their covers. A job that is not easy and requires great skill.
Among the rarest and most valuable pieces of the Viali Bookbindery, a book from 1575 expertly recovered, stitched up and arranged. Today, however, the workshop also creates books from scratch using ancient medieval techniques, a fascinating job waiting to be discovered.
