Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea

Intarsio is the Italian word for marquetry: the inlaying of any ‘structural carcass’ with wood, mainly, but sometimes mother of pearl or other materials to make a decorative pattern or picture. It was popular in the mid-18th century with the Italian Royal Family and the grand tourists, and Sorrento became particularly famous for its intarsio. This museum has a fabulous collection of inlaid objects in natural and stained woods, and as it is also keen to support modern designers with their contemporary interpretations of marquetry, the ground floor is given over to new designs. The museum starts with paintings and etchings of the city in the 18th century to give a feel of the atmosphere that the craft emerged within.