The Arte dei Legnaioli was part of the Arti Minori. It brought together all the artisans who worked with wood to create furniture, agricultural tools, and storage containers.
Specializations and Products
Within the guild, there were several specific trades:
-
Cassai and Cassettai (Chest-makers): They produced cases and trunks. The “cassoni” (large marriage chests) were particularly important as they held a bride’s trousseau.
-
Cofanai (Casket-makers): They crafted small caskets and chests to store precious objects or for use during travel.
-
Falegnami (Carpenters): They built sturdy furniture for homes and taverns, such as tables, stools, beds, and “armari” (cabinets originally used to store weapons—the origin of the word “armory”).
-
Bottai (Coopers): They produced casks and barrels for wine and agriculture.
Fun Fact: “Per filo e per segno”
The wood sawyers were famous for their precision. To cut wood in a perfectly straight line, they used a colored string to mark a guide trace. The Italian idiom “per filo e per segno” (meaning to do something with extreme precision or in great detail) derives from this artisanal technique.
-
Coat of Arms: A green tree with a wood-colored chest in the center of the trunk, on a white field.
-
Patron Saint: The Virgin Mary (Vergine Maria).
