In the 13th Century, even though Gambassi was a pawn during a season of conflict, power swapping and claims between the Bishops of Volterra and San Gimignano, its economy experienced an upswing thanks to the impulse of the craft of glass making. The art of glass making spread widely thanks to the cardinal arterial roads of the Via Francigena and the Via Volterrana; at these crossroads, Gambassi was able to take advantage of the thousands of foreigners and pilgrims passing by.
This fortunate season is documented by the remains of a furnace from the 14th Century, which was rediscovered between 1986 and 1991 thanks to six archaeological digs in the small towns of Germagnana and Santa Cristina. It is also confirmed by the international fame that some master glassmakers from Gambassi attained.
Between the 13th and 14th Centuries, the Valdelsa established itself as one of the main centres for glass production in Italy, and met the demands of glass production from large urban centres. Its strategic position made it open to the spread of new technology. Its land was rich in minerals and its numerous forests – especially in the area of Gambassi and Montaione – ensured sufficient wood for firing its furnaces. Last but not least, its liberal concessions for using these forests helped it to take hold of the market.
In 1400, even though a great recession hit the entire century, and many masters emigrated to the big cities, Gambassi survived as a specialised centre for glass production, to the point that one third of its population was employed in this sector.
Becuccio Bicchieraio and the notoriety of Gambassi
Gambassi produced home furnishings, glass for dining, but especially glasses – the so-called gambassini – and it’s no surprise that a certain Domenico di Jacopo di Mattio, possibly the most well-known master to receive notoriety, was more commonly called Becuccio Bicchieraio. In Florence, where masters received important assignments, such as the creation of coloured glass windows for Santa Maria del Fiore, the master from Gambassi made friends with numerous artists, including Andrea del Sarto, to whom he commissioned the so-called Pala Gambassi (the original, commissioned for the monastery of Saints Lorenzo e Onofrio di Gambassi, is now held in the Palatina Gallery in Florence).
INFO | The permanent exhibition
In Gambassi, in Via Garibaldi 7, a permanent exhibition brings together studies and research carried out between Gambassi and Montaione. The pre-industrial history of glassmaking is illustrated in four sections: the production of glass in Italy, the technology of pre-industrial glass, daily life in the production areas of Gambassi, and the production of glass along the Via Francigena.
The exhibition is open:
from September 15th to June 14th
from Tuesday to Friday: 3.00 – 7.00 PM
on Saturday: 9.00 AM – 1.00 PM
from June 15th to September 14th
from Tuesday to Friday: 3.00 – 7.00 PM
or upon appointment
Info: +39 0571 638204 | cultura@comune.gambassi-terme.fi.it
