Art House Cortina – “The Art of the Walking Stick”

It was the summer of 2021. I was 33 when someone, or something, knocked, unrelenting, on the door of my heart… and the sacred fire was lit. It was me. And I was a Dandy.

We were all emerging from a heavy time, and all I longed for was lightness and grace. With fresh eyes, I found paradise right here: a revelation, a calling. Her name was Georgette, my very first walking stick, and she found me ready. Like a magnet, she pulled me in, headfirst, into a new, dazzling obsession. Walking sticks, le bagoline, since the 19th century, the ultimate accessory of true dandies. An iconic symbol of elegance and style, a once démodé fetish now gloriously timeless.

Art House Cortina is a true dandy’s paradise. Since 1976, it’s been a landmark of interior design and refined taste. It all began when Gabriele Gaspari, a true Ampezzano with a keen eye for beauty and aesthetics, transformed this cult store into a genuine “old school” country gallery. A treasure trove of prestigious objects crafted by master artisans, Art House is more than a store: it’s a cabinet of wonders. From horn cutlery to crystal glassware, from silver sets to fine tableware, wooden accessories to artisanal textiles, this place has it all, and then some.

This shop holds a special place in my heart, just like it did in my grandparents’.
And let’s be honest, we dandies do love our objects, no surprise there. Those walking sticks I now lean on so effortlessly? They’ve been nothing short of a turning point for me, the key that unlocked the grand game of life and taught me to live it to the fullest… as a true performer.