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"-1 LEXUSIYAGAZINE 33

"If they fear the stone, they'll never become good masons,"saysheadmasterTondi Vlahovi6.

"You're only as good as your hands will allow."

apprenticing, many join Jadrankameis klaseria, a large, hangar-like corner of the factory where

company has been very busy on this front for the past decade. One such proiect recently completed is the Hilton Imperial, in Dubrovnikk

The future stonemasonswere hard at work

the high-end,one-of-a-kindwork happens.This is where all the specialty piecesare made, carved

as the headmaster walked me through the ground-floor workshop. One young man was

by hand from the finest limestoneon Brad.One cubic meter costsabout $2,000,and that'sbefore

carving flourishes into an ornate fountain using a gradina, a special kind of chisel with

any work has been done to it.

"The rest of what fadrankamendoesis indus-

fadrankamansuppliedtons of stone,along with a crew of klaserlaworkmen, to help restorethe five-star property, which finally reopened in

teeth.Another was polishing a large urn with a diamond-coated sponge,bringing out the slick

try," Matu[e says."But this is art." A dozen men in blue overallsarecreatingdecorativepiecesfor

May 2005.

"The stone is hard," says former Klesarska

sheenthat's a hallmark of limestone. ladrankamen and the school are inextricably

a castlenear Zagreb,the capitalofCroatia. They work solo, taking their time with the hammer and chiselsas they bring the stone to life.

Skolastudent JosipMartinic, now the foreman of the klaseria."But it has soul. With the right

linked. The company donates all the raw stone that the studentswork on, and also recruits the beststudentsupon graduation (the schooloffers a three-yearcraftsman degreeand a four-year technicaldegree).After spendingseveralsummers

fabled Old City. The 1897landmarkwas nearly demolishedby a Serbianbombardment in 1991.

Given these skills, itt not surprising that fadrankamen's klaseria artists also specialize

knowledge,experience,and especiallythe right feeling about the stone,you can make anything you wish fiom it." Much of Croatia's future, it

in restoration. Becausethe civil war damaged so many of Croatia's historic buildings, the

seems,will be built of this optimistic spirit, along with the limestone on which it rests. !

C ockw se from iop e{t: a scenic ' e w olDr cr ica; the r aw,uncut ma te r a;a mestonewalkway;a carved imesronerozera

RE S O U R C E S THERE: CETTINC Croatia Travel(800-662-7628)

and

Croati aA r l i n e s( w w w c r o a tia a irnl e s, hr) c a n a r r a n g ec o n n e c ton s th r o u g h most malor Europeancrt es to Sp it or Dubro v n i kw , h e r e o n e c a n e a siy h o p a {err yt o B r a d ( w w w j a d ro in ija .h r ) .

TOSTAY WHERE Sun-seekers shouldheadto Bo, wh ch boastsa numberoJresorthotes,mosr notablythe Bretande Sport& Welness Resort(www.bretandecom a I nclusive t o t s leo:u, r ' {eeslro m llS$7 9) .rql^ thefamedZlatniRatbeachInrnecefrer town s theHote Kaitil o{thecharming (wwwkastil,hr; rooms{romU5$60) 15th-century PudiS6a boaststherestored DeikovicPalace Hote (385 21-778240, www,palaca-deskovlc,com; doubles US$150to US$200),whichatsohas oneof thetown'sbestrestaurants.

HOW TO ORDERBRACLIMESTONE: (wwwjadrankamen,nrT Jadrankamen of{ersitslimestone directly to thepublic, Toplacea customorder{orjustabout .a'l jB5-21-633-.104 an'll-rnn or e-mailuprava@ladrankamen.hr The company canalsopulyouintouchwith locally baseddealers of theirproduct.

34 TEXUSMACAZINE

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