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Enjoy 400 years of woodcarving tradition:

Val Gardena is magic valley full of history and traditions, with dense evergreen forests, open fields and of course, the most astonishing and beautiful mountains of the world. This is the landscape that embraces the three little towns of the valley emphasising the beauty of their particular architecture. Starting from Ortisei, passing through S. Christina and ending up in Selva is just the beginning of a journey to discover this unique valley.

Val Gardena has been the home of skilled sculptors since 400 years. The art of woodcarving, handed down from generation to generation, represents one of the main characteristics of the alpine valley.

This tradition goes back to the time around 1600, when the peasants living in the valley started to manufacture first toys and later on especially religious items and other woodcarvings. These works were then sold at the annual spring fairs. Today this tradition is kept up by talented woodcarvers who manufacture objects of art which both remind us of ancient times, and adapt perfectly to modern taste.

Skilled artists educated in the art school of Ortisei and Selva carve the basic models for the serial production. Their excellent masterpieces are a product of their individual creativity, always original and different. These models are then cast in bronze for being reproduced in many standard sizes.

The best wood to carve is the wood found in the alpine forests. Here is how it works: the stem of the trees is cut in large boards. After being kiln-dryed, they are cut into little cubes, according to the size of the sculptures that are meant to be carved.

Out of these little wooden cubes, expert artisans carve the figurines accurately by means of a pantograph. Once the work is completed, he revises once more every single figurine eliminating any imperfections-

The woodcarver carves by hand all details to complete the art work.

The last step of the process is the decoration. The painting of the figurines is entirely made by hand, patience and love for detail are features of this last step. The colors used vary from figure to figure so that we can say that every sculpture is a single masterpiece on its own, whom the artist gives his individual touch.

The Val Gardena woodcarvings offer something for everyone. The range covers: Religious sculptures, Nativity Scenes, Chess pieces, animals, sport persons, clowns, professions and also wood sculptures from history of art.

The basic motif of the Val Gardena woodcarvings is the Nativity scene, which is now manufactured in a variety of styles ranging from the classical to the more modern. A Nativity-set handcrafted in Val Gardena is a cherished family-heirloom and a precious object of art for collectors.

This investment will keep its Value throughout the years as we guarentee the collection will expand and you can complete it.

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