Botero could often be seen sitting on the terrace of one of the cafes in the piazza, Gherarducci recalled in a telephone interview. He was so attentive to supporting all local businesses that he and his wife would go to a different trattoria every evening.
Gherarducci learned the business from his father, who set up a company in the 1960s offering packaging services to marble ateliers, foundries and artists. They would go to the workshops, take the sculpture’s measurements, and prepare the wooden packaging for it.
Over the years, Gherarducci has developed his business to offer an array of services to artists and sculptors — from purchasing tools and equipment, to making plinths for their sculptures, to monitoring the shipping and transportation of artworks, to supervising the display and setup of exhibitions.
Another sculptor he worked with closely was the Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, who, late in life, spent part of the year in Pietrasanta. She trusted him enough that, when she was away, he had the keys to her Pietrasanta studio and apartment, he said.
Lollobrigida, who studied painting and sculpture at Rome’s prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti, “had a great hand at drawing,” Gherarducci recalled. Her sculptures were “self-portraits; almost all of them were characters from her films,” and ranged in size from small to very large.
“Gina was always nice and kind,” he said. “She knew what she wanted.”
Does Gherarducci feel that he played a part in the many artistic creations that he helped bring to life — even a small sense of shared authorship? “No. I think I provided know-how that was passed down to me by my family, by these artisans, these craftspeople,” he said. “For me, it was like a mission. It was a lifelong passion. If I had to do it all over again, I would.”
“I feel like somebody who has done his job well, and by doing it well, I have provided a service,” he added. “I gave reassurance to the artists, who were able to do what they wanted to do without any problems.”
