Fabrizio Paoletti is proud to announce his most ambitious project to date — a heartfelt homage to his homeland, the wellspring of his artisan spirit and boundless artistic inspiration.
The Eye of Florence celebrates the eight “eyes” crowning Brunelleschi’s majestic dome at Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence. This exceptional art collection on eight of one-of-a-kind guitars reimagines the dome’s stained-glass masterpieces — by Donatello, Paolo Uccello, Ghiberti, and Andrea del Castagno — each window aligned to a cardinal direction and soaring 50 meters above the marble floor.
Under Fabrizio’s skilled hands, these visions are taking shape, in wood and pearl. Each guitar is carved from premium chestnut with a Canadian roasted maple neck, then cloaked in nearly 6,000 hand-cut Venetian mother-of-pearl tesserae.
The sides echo the windows’ intricate floral and sacred motifs, while the tops bring their stories to life, paired by theme: The Nativity of Christ (N-W) faces The Ascension of Christ (S-E), embodying birth and transcendence; The Oration in the Garden (S) contrasts with The Lamentation over Christ Taken Down from the Cross (N), exploring the mystery of death; The Presentation of Christ in the Temple (S-W) stands opposite The Resurrection of Christ (N-E), symbolizing the beginning and fulfillment of Christ’s mission; and Donatello’s Coronation of the Virgin (E) greets the dawn with regal glory, while Paolo Uccello’s Annunciation (W) was lost to lightning in 1828. The “empty eye,” a poetic void in the canopy of light, is now a canvas for a new interpretation by Fabrizio Paoletti, based on Ulisse Forni’s beautiful homage to the original masterpiece.
Each instrument is further enriched by a mosaic of mother-of-pearl on its back, inspired by the Cathedral’s marble carpets, 24 k-gold–certified hardware and strings, a hidden fine-ceramic pickup, a hand-carved ebony bridge.
To save the sweetest for last, all of the eight guitars conceal a genuine fragment of the Cathedral of Florence within — an enduring legacy and a once-in-a-lifetime chance, just for a handful of the world’s most discerning collectors.
Silent now, these living elegies await their moment: together in Florence, autumn 2026, when light, history, and sound will unveil in timeless harmony.
Contact us to secure one of the few remaining masterpieces in this unprecedented collection.
May 25th 2025
Paoletti Guitars
