Italian hotel glamour, with a place for twelve. This 84-piece Parco dei Principi flatware service, designed by Gio Ponti and manufactured by Fratelli Calderoni, brings architectural elegance to the most convivial room in the house.
Originally conceived around 1935, the design was revisited by Ponti in 1964 for Rome’s Hotel Parco dei Principi. Long, gently flared handles finish in delicately scalloped tips: a little classical flourish within an otherwise beautifully restrained silhouette.
The pieces bear Calderoni’s Cronisil mark, a name associated with its durable stainless-steel tableware production. This emphasis on resilience suits Ponti’s vision of beautiful objects participating in everyday life.
A thoughtful acquisition for design collectors, an elegant finishing touch for an interior designer’s dining room, or a rather magnificent wedding gift. Naturally, keeping it for your own dinner parties is entirely understandable.
The service comprises twelve seven-piece settings:
12 dinner forks
12 smaller forks
12 dinner knives
12 smaller knives
12 large spoons
12 medium spoons
12 small spoons
Condition
The photographed pieces show surface scratches, rubbing and small marks consistent with vintage use, while retaining an attractive reflective finish. Wear is visible on the handles and spoon bowls. Marks include Calderoni Fratelli / Cronisil, with the Calderoni crest and “INOXID” on the photographed knife blade.
Please review the photographs for details.
History of the maker
Founded in 1851, Fratelli Calderoni became an established Italian manufacturer of cutlery and tableware. Its collaboration with Gio Ponti united skilled metalworking with an architect’s attention to proportion, function and the pleasure of daily rituals.
Wright’s specialist auction of modernist flatware from the Collection of Dung Ngo included an identically configured 84-piece Parco dei Principi service, catalogued as 1964. The entry traces the design to circa 1935 and cites Gio Ponti: L’arte si innamora dell’industria, pages 368–373, for discussion of the hotel commission. A distinguished design history, right down to the smallest spoon.
Ways to use
Set all twelve places for holiday entertaining, celebratory dinners and leisurely Sunday lunches. Pair with white porcelain and crisp linen for architectural simplicity, or let the restrained lines bring order to a gloriously patterned table.
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