There is a beautiful Romanesque Church in my grandfather’s village located in France, in “Saone et Loire”.

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We used to play there with my little brother Laurent.

The sacred atmosphere of this place, full of mysteries, fascinated me. Since then, I became really interested by their construction and by the men who build it.

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Sacred builder work reached its apogee in the Gothic era. The builders left little trace of their knowledge behind them; they preferred the oral tradition and the training by Masters. But French churches and cathedrals provide wonderful libraries, full of living symbols and patterns that I often use for my collections.

« Il faut plus surement retrouver l’intelligence intuitive d’hommes épris du sacré, amoureux de leur oeuvre car, à cette époque on n’invente pas les symboles on les vit. »

« Search here for the intuitive intelligence of Men captivated by sacred art, in love of their work, because, at this time, you did not invent symbols, you lived it. »

La tradition cachée des cathédrales (JP Bayard Ed Dangles)

By using their patterns in my jewelry I try, in my own way, to transmit the spirit of the Cathedral’s Builders.

Thierry Martino

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