The Eye of Florence: Eight Masterpiece Guitars Inspired by Brunelleschi’s Dome to Be Unveiled in Florence
On October 17, 2026, Florence will become the setting for an extraordinary encounter between art, music and Renaissance heritage. The Eye of Florence, an exclusive collection of eight unique guitars created by artist and master craftsman Fabrizio Paoletti, founder of Paoletti Guitars, draws inspiration from the eight stained-glass oculi adorning Brunelleschi’s iconic Dome. The entire collection will make its debut at a private event in an exclusive location nestled in the Tuscan hills, bringing together distinguished guests from the worlds of art, culture and music, alongside senior representatives of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Each guitar is dedicated to one of the great circular windows of the Dome, five metres in diameter and set fifty metres above the ground, which tell the life of Christ and Mary through the designs of the masters of the Renaissance: Nativity (Paolo Uccello), Lamentation (Andrea del Castagno), Resurrection (Paolo Uccello), Coronation of the Virgin (Donatello), Ascension (Lorenzo Ghiberti), Oration in the Garden (Lorenzo Ghiberti), Presentation of Christ at the Temple (Lorenzo Ghiberti), Annunciation (Ulisse Cambi, a tribute to Paolo Uccello).
To bring that light onto the guitar, each instrument has been covered with over five thousand tesserae of Venetian mother-of-pearl, sought out and hand-carved by Fabrizio Paoletti, across the neck, front, back and sides, reproducing every window down to the lead lines between the panes of glass. On the back, set into a reproduction of the Cathedral's marble floor, lies the heart of the collection: an authentic fragment of marble from the Duomo di Firenze, made available by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and worked alongside the master restorers of the Opera. Beneath the mosaic, the chestnut wood that has always defined Paoletti's work keeps each piece a true instrument, with a concealed pickup, a hand-crafted ebony bridge and gold details in dialogue with the mother-of-pearl and the marble.
Fabrizio Paoletti's guitars have long been in the hands of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Brian May, Johnny Depp and Mark Knopfler. Yet his work has increasingly moved beyond lutherie: his creations have been appreciated by museums of modern art, and new works dedicated to the Principality of Monaco are currently underway. The Eye of Florence, developed alongside the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore since late 2022, is the most ambitious expression of this vision.
The collection was launched worldwide at the Art of Guitar boutique in Dubai in May 2025, and has since been presented through targeted initiatives, exclusive events and selected collaborations in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada and Japan. On October 17 it returns to the city that inspired it, where the eight guitars, never exhibited together until now, will become one single vision.
Based in Dubai and founded by Nisreen Shocair and Rick Vlemmiks, the Art of Guitar boutique unites music, craftsmanship and design in a space that recalls an art gallery, and has rapidly become a reference point in the region. Recognised among the world's top 100 musical instrument retailers according to the NAMM ranking, Art of Guitar is distinguished by its impeccable selection and the trust it has earned among international collectors and musicians.
The Words of Filippo Martini
“The Eye of Florence is a project we have followed with great care, also from a strategic and communication point of view. From the very beginning, our aim has been to give this collection the visibility and the setting it deserves, with an approach as careful and respectful as the work itself. Our whole team stands beside Fabrizio Paoletti at every stage, with deep respect for the time and sensitivity that a work of this kind requires. The unveiling in Florence marks an unprecedented moment for the world of guitar making and music. Our goal is to accompany The Eye of Florence all the way, letting the works speak for themselves, today and in the years to come.”
Filippo Martini, Managing Director, Paoletti Guitars
