"Italians in general are always searching for beautiful things", says Nicolo Maggi, when I asked him to describe what a bicycle means to an Italian.

Italy is art and art is Italy.

Italy contains over 70% of the world's art and architecture.

ART lacks a satisfactory definition. The dictionary says art is "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others" (Britannica Online)

Amazingly, prior to Italy in the 15th and 16th century, the word "art" did not exist.

The creation of beauty for beauty’s sake was so important to them that they had to define it, and the term "work of art" emerged. It was the Italian artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari during the Renaissance that gave birth to the word to encompass Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Even the world’s first academies of art were first founded in Italy.

WHAT DOES THIS DISCOURSE ON THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD ART HAVE TO DO WITH FORMIGLI?

Formigli frames are first and foremost crafted for their beauty, for their expression as art.

Renzo Formigli creates every frame with the same care and precision as the great artists of Italy's history.

Americans have become accustomed to mass production and often base many of their acquisition decisions on how much they can get for the lowest cost.

Formigli frames are not built on this American ideal.

Formigli frames are works of art.  They are crafted first for beauty. To an American this might seem strange and out of order. But for an Italian beauty and aesthetic is first.

Formigli frames are crafted secondarily for superior quality, next stiffness, and lastly light and reactive.