Florentine Paper

Marbled paper which started in Turkey, has been made in Florence since the sixteenth century. Resin or glue is used to attach floating pigments to marbled paper to add the marbled effect. The oldest marbled paper maker in Florence, Giulio Giannini and Figlio was founded 1856.

Florentine paper has patterns on it that are printed on them. Oils and chemical dyes are often used to create the patterns on Florentine paper. Three popular patterns for Florentine paper are: peacock’s tail, combed, or marbled. No two sheets of Florentine paper are the same.