In the 1500s, the Venetian artist Jacopo Robusti--better known as Tintoretto--operated a printmaking laboratory in the ground floor of his house on the Fondamenta dei Mori in Cannaregio, a few blocks from his parish church of Madonna dell'Orto. In 1985, master printer Roberto Mazzetto converted Tintoretto's former workshop back into a graphics workshop, and the Bottega del Tintoretto continues to serve as a a cooperative laboratorio for Venetian and foreign artists a quarter of a century later.

Bottega del Tintoretto workshop

ABOVE: Roberto Mazzetto, director of the Bottega del Tintoretto, demonstrates printmaking techniques.

The Bottega--also known as the Stamperia del Tintoretto--is outfitted for lithography, etching, relief, and silkscreen printing, using antique equipment that has been restored under the direction of Signor Mazzetto.

Artists can create their own editions with help from Signor Mazzetto, or they can turn their designs over to the master printer and his volunteer staff for printing. (Many of the Bottega's 60 professional members choose the latter.) The shop will also provide bound editions for artists, school classes, and other clients.

Take a course or bring a class

In addition to serving as a workshop for artists, the Bottega del Tintoretto offers courses in printmaking, bookbinding, papermaking, typography, watercolor, fresco, mosaic, and sculpture. Some classes are taught one day a week from October through April. Others are intensive five-day seminars in disciplines such as traditional print techniques, lithography, experimental printing, and relief printing (e.g., woodcut).

Academic groups are also welcome. The ideal class size is 10 students, although up to 15 students can be squeezed into the shop. Teaching is most efficient when the students know Italian or bring an interpreter, but an English-speaking staff member is usually on hand.

Continued on page 2

Do you find our site helpful?
Share it with a click:

Follow @durant_imboden

Hotel Advice:

Location can be important in a car-free city with 400+ bridges, especially when you're walking with luggage. Before you book, see:

Hotel Recomendations by Area
Find hotels that are handy to the airport, railroad station, cruise port, or Piazza San Marco, and in Mestre.

Aerial Venice Hotels
Read our tips on choosing the right sestiere or district. Then view individual hotels and their surroundings in large satellite photos and aerial close-ups.

MSC cruise ship in Venice

Venice for Cruisers:

Venice canal reflections

From our Venice Travel Blog:

A water taxi ride to Venice Airport
A warning about water taxis
Venice Railroad Station: a vaporetto view
Long lines at Venice Airport
Free boat trips to Murano
Need to pee? Prepare to pay
Crime in Venice
The perils of overpacking
Venetian daily life

Maggie in Venice

From Maggie in Venice:

A dog's life in Venice
A Beagle boards a water bus
Maggie in Venice video clips