Friul Mosaic is a family-run artisan company of artistic mosaics, founded by William Bertoia in 1987, which draws on an important tradition, but with an eye on contemporaneity: starting from the design, for which innovative motifs and original compositions are sought, each mosaic is made by hand, tile after tile, respecting the traditional techniques of classic mosaic. Wall mosaic decorations, floor coverings, artistic and architectural solutions are all made strictly to measure, with mastery, rigor and sartorial precision, without forgetting creativity and innovation. In addition to the classic motifs, original and modern textures are proposed, inspired by nature, works of art and myth, but also by modern mosaic as an element of interior design. In 2020, William Bertoia obtained the title MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere, recognized by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte.

What was your path and how did you start this job? My path as a mosaicist began when I was a child, with the discovery of a bag of marble tiles belonging to my grandfather, a mosaic terracer since the early 1900s. I then attended and graduated from the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli in Spilimbergo. I started working in the laboratories of the marble workers in the area and then, in 1981, I opened my own company.

Friuli is an area recognized throughout the world for artistic mosaic. How important was the connection with the territory for your work? Mosaic arrived in Friuli Venezia Giulia already during the Roman Empire in the city of Aquileia. Here it was then transformed from decorative art, for private homes and public spaces, to sacred art for the decoration of the basilica in the early Christian period. Mosaic is also present in the Byzantine period (of which we have an example in the apse of the cathedral of San Giusto in Trieste), its workers then formed the basis for the laboratories of Venice during the birth of the corporations. When the corporation of terrazzo and mosaic workers was founded, it appears that many workers in this art were Friulians.
After the fall of the Venetian Republic, the Friulian artisans, with the closure of almost all the laboratories, spread to the major European cities of the time. They opened laboratories in Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin. The ties with the land of origin remained alive, however, and this led to the creation of the Spilimbergo School. Here the various styles are taught: Roman, Byzantine, Renaissance and contemporary; direct and indirect work, the latter entering the world of mosaic around 1860.
This work allows the work to be carried out in the laboratory, of any type of size and decoration required, whether ancient or modern and of any size.
When a large order comes along, we seek the collaboration of other laboratories in the area whose work we know, because, at the end of the work, the execution must be homogeneous, as if done by a single hand. Friul Mosaic, which I founded in 1987, includes almost all mosaicists graduated from the School of Spilimbergo, where I finished my studies in 1961. Natalina, one of my first collaborators, now runs the laboratory. My daughters, sons-in-law and first grandson, operate according to their skills within the company; production and installation of the mosaic for the males, who learned this art in the laboratory and by working alongside me on various construction sites in Italy and abroad. My daughters Barbara and Tiziana, take care of the relationship with customers, with architects, organize participation in fairs and draw up estimates. They have now thirty years of experience; Barbara has a degree in Economics and Commerce and Tiziana has a diploma as a Business Expert corresponding in foreign languages. They have “breathed” mosaic since they were little, deciding, once they finished their studies, to enter the family business, which requires people who know how to promote, lead and administer the work of about thirty people.
His works are true masterpieces of mosaic decoration, some of considerable size. How do you organize your work? Do you have collaborators who assist you? The work of the mosaic artist begins with the preparation of the design and the choice of materials to be used to create the mosaic. Then the tasks are distributed to the laboratory staff: cutting the materials, gluing the tiles, checking the dry work, then packing and shipping. Finally, an inspection of the construction site and verification of the surfaces intended for installation, finally installation of the mosaic. The company is made up of mosaic artists, personnel responsible for cutting the marble to produce the tiles, technical designers, administrative staff, and promotion and marketing personnel.

How many hours of work does the creation of a large work require? The creation of a work depends on several factors: type of decoration, type of materials (which can be for example marble, vitreous enamel or others), size of the tiles and size of the work. It can take from four hours per square meter for the simplest surfaces to well over 100 hours per square meter for micromosaic with minute and complex decorations.

What are your favorite styles and techniques? As a mosaic artist I have no style preferences, certainly the more complex creations leave a more vivid memory.

Who are the clients of your works and what has been the most interesting work you have done so far? The clients are of various kinds and follow all the phases of placing the mosaic. They can be religious institutions for which we create sacred art mosaics, owners of shops, hotels, private villas for which we create walkable surfaces or walls decorated in mosaic, swimming pools and wellness areas, floors of halls, entrances and rooms; public bodies for mosaic surfaces with decorations of subjects or representative themes, but also designers and marble workers. For me, the most interesting work, among the many created, can be considered, for its prestige and size, the covering of the dome of the National Sanctuary of Nossa Señora Aparecida: over 2000 square meters of enamels and gold for the largest basilica in the world, dedicated to the Madonna, which welcomes 13 million pilgrims a year. However, the projects we have created for major fashion brands, such as Dolce & Gabbana, Marni, and others that I cannot mention for confidentiality reasons, are very important.

How important is, in your opinion, the transmission of artisan knowledge to the new generations? Experience, knowledge and passion for one’s craft can be useful for the education of the new generations. Care and love for art and for lasting beauty have a positive impact on coexistence and civil awareness. The masterpieces handed down to us over the centuries are evidence of the work of artists and artisans of the past. The same can be true in our case: mosaics produced in recent years will be witnesses for centuries to our ability to create and produce works of art.

What are your plans for the future of the business? Personally, I think of a short-term future, being 80 years old. I would like to conclude my activity as a mosaic artist with a personal anthological exhibition. A review of works ranging from sacred art in Byzantine style to the translation into mosaic of famous works by Impressionists, ending with compositions of contemporary mosaics. About fifteen works to be exhibited in some city, to make this art better known and appreciated. For Friul Mosaic, founded by me in 1987, now managed by my daughters Barbara and Tiziana, by the laboratory manager Natalina and by the nephew Nicola for marketing, the future seems to be on an excellent path. There is no shortage of projects, the work is proceeding well and barring pandemics or other calamities, our presence in the sector will continue to be active and rewarding.