In Taormina, an art atelier, laboratory and goldsmith’s shop, since 1996 a treasure chest of the most refined jewellery and custodian of the skills in working gold and precious stones of the most fascinating ancient cultures, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, which have succeeded one another here.
In the heart of Corso Umberto, the main street of Taormina, an elegant shop window, embellished with an original eighteenth-century treasure chest and two majestic columns from ancient Greece, has been attracting the attention of the entire beau monde that stops in the small village nestled between Etna and the sea for over 30 years.
The ancient safes and columns, from which it takes its name, are the symbols of the boutique, famous for its handmade jewelry and the creative direction of the owners and lifelong friends Leila Correnti and Sanny Alvaro, artisan goldsmiths for two generations.
For two generations we have been creating jewels designed to make you dream and bring with you the soul of Taormina and Sicily.
(Leila and Sanny)
Their creations have a strong personality, always recognizable, and carry with them ancestral suggestions: the icons of goldsmith art from all eras – from the jewels of Classical Greece to tennis bracelets, from snake necklaces to sculpture pendants with baroque pearls – are transformed into elegant, timeless jewels.
Gold is combined with other powerful metals, such as bronze, burnished silver and iron, to give life to precious jewels that can be composed into multiple pieces (making even the most precious diamond ring “casual” in an instant), and each stone, from meteorites fallen in Russia to emeralds from Colombia, from Persian turquoise to Sicilian jaspers and corals, is selected for its uniqueness.
Among their admirers are many illustrious personalities from all over the world, including Madonna, Susan Sarandon, Harrison Ford, to name a few, and Valentino Garavani, who became a customer after receiving and appreciating the sculpture of the Premio Città di Taormina, handmade by Le Colonne.
If the boutique in Corso Umberto was born in the 90s, the history of the company begins in 1967 founded by Alfredo Correnti and Giuseppe Alvaro, visionary aesthetes and refined goldsmiths, and continues today with their daughters Leila and Sanny, and the precious coordination of Amedeo Pasquale.
They, elegant creative minds, coordinate the artisan workshop located a few meters from the boutique, where a team of goldsmiths, led by Carlos Humberto Stella, the technical director, create, on exclusive designs, original unique pieces resulting from alchemical fusions and elaborate manual techniques.
A dream that can also be within everyone’s reach, like the silver lines, including a real must: the Sicilian horn on which the most beloved amulets are hand-engraved, from the horseshoe to the four-leaf clover, to receive super protection from any misfortune.
Leila and Sanny, in addition to their creations, can also make any kind of custom jewelry. Because as they love to tell their customers: if you can dream it, we can make it happen.
And for September 2024, there are many new things coming up, such as the renovated atelier laboratory and new goldsmith art workshops open to all (just follow the boutique’s social networks to stay up to date on the news).
Unquestionably one of the highest expressions of goldsmith art in the world.
The Secret
Le Colonne are a point of reference for all of Taormina…even for the local cat community, for which Leila and Sanny have even created a kennel placed above the treasure chest in the window which has become a local attraction.
Useful Info
Le Colonne Taormina
C.so Umberto 164
98039 Taormina, Messina
Tel. +39 0942 23680
