Create Your Own Tuff Sculpture with a Master from Matera

Maristella has been working with calcarenite—the stone from which Matera is made—for over 30 years. Her workshop, Arte Decorativa, opened in 1996 and has over time become a laboratory of unique creations: engravings, decorations, inlays with glass, copper, and natural stone. Every piece is different from the next. When you enter, you don't walk into a shop. You enter her world. As you tour the workshop, Maristella tells you how she started, how she learned, and how her work has evolved over time. Then she suggests what to make—a candle holder, a box, a pendant—choosing together from what she has on display that day. We move on to the workshop. Here, Maristella explains what calcarenite really is: where it comes from, why the people of Matera have mined it for millennia, how it behaves in your hands. She teaches you the basic techniques—how to hold the tools, how to engrave, how to finish. She's there with you, guiding you, correcting if necessary. Leave with an object made by you, from the stone that built this city. What's included Guided tour of the workshop with Maristella Choice of the object to be made Hands-on workshop with basic working techniques The finished object to take home Duration: 2–3 hours Suitable for: adults and children ages 10 and up No experience required