In the village of Ceresole Reale, surrounded by the majestic peaks of Gran Paradiso, is the workshop of Marco Rolando, a master carver famous for the marvelous wooden craft objects he makes inspired by fairy tale characters, nature and the mountains.
Born in 1966, master Rolando was thunderstruck by a passion for wood from an early age: even as a child he loved to work this humble material, which he manages to make precious by using his imagination to give life to increasingly complex objects and works.
Starting in the 1990s, this passion grew stronger and Marco decided to turn it into a professional activity, studying first as a self-taught artist and later at the workshop of master Giuseppe Binel, one of the most appreciated sculptors in Valle d’Aosta. For five years Rolando studied carving techniques, the use of the various tools of the trade, and respect for size and perspective, coming to know all the secrets of knife-edge woodworking.
A multifaceted artist and all-around mountain lover, Marco Rolando alternates between his work as a sculptor and as a federal ski instructor, although for about 20 years he has devoted himself almost full-time to carving and sculpture.
Inside his workshop you can buy truly unique objects, made entirely by hand with care and great passion. Among the objects shaped by master Rolando are key chains, bookmarks, letter openers, plates, cutting boards, jewelry boxes, frames, lamps, clocks and decorative crucifixes.
The common thread that guides the carving is almost always nature, although there is no shortage of suggestions drawn from fairy tales: the objects are enriched with decorations depicting flowers, animals, fairies and gnomes that immediately bring to mind all the enchantment of the mountains of Valle d’Aosta and Piedmont.
Master Marco Rolandi possesses the gift of transforming a simple and poor material such as wood into authentic works of art, deciding to pass on these valuable skills by teaching the art of carving in his courses organized through professional bodies and associations.
With the approach of Christmas, Marco Rolandi’s workshop becomes even more magical and fascinating: on the occasion of the holidays, his handcrafted production is enriched with a series of beautiful Christmas decorations made of wood and hand-carved cribs.
What better opportunity to discover his workshop?
Master Marco Rolandi is waiting for you in his studio – workshop in Ceresole Reale.