di Dèsirèe Sormani Un quadro di mare fa sognare. Ritempra lo spirito e l'anima.Un effetto terapeutico che si può provare varcando la porta di Ottocento, il primo e più prestigioso negozio di antiquariato marino in Italia. La pittura occupa uno spazio importantissimo, ma da Ottocento si trova di tutto, trofei in argento, modelli di nave, diorami, antichi timoni, strumenti nautici e mobili. Tanto che oggi è il punto di riferimento...
A seascape is a dream to behold. It lifts both the spirit and the soul. And that's exactly the sensation one gets as one enters Ottocento, Italy's leading maritime antique shop. In fact, you'll find a little of everything in Ottocento. The wares range from silver trophies to ship's models, dioramas, old wheels, nautical instruments and furnishing. The selection is so good that Ottocento is now an absolute favourite with all of the most sophisticated collectors. The two driving forces behind this wonderful treasure house are Luisa Cornacchia and her husband. Both are great collectors and sea lovers but the idea of turning their passion into a profession came in London during the '70. It was there that Luisa discovered a real treasure trove of antiques in second-hand shops, Portobello market and the auction rooms. "Twenty-five years ago, there were very few maritime collectors" she says now. "I remember an auction at Christie's in London in 1978 where there where just four of us and we ended up dividing the booty amongst ourselves". Today Ottocento is packed with all kinds of antiques, but the maritime section does take up most of the space. The fact that the antiques on sale in Ottocento were both unusual and rare soon earned it a reputation all over Italy. Ottocento not only stocks antiques from the 18th , 19th and 20th centuries, but also some splendid contemporary art. In fact, the two shops have a turnover of around 150 paintings per year, photos of which are published in a customer catalogue.