Carbotti

Domenico Carbotti: passion and tradition for handcrafted bags

I started making leather goods in the immediate post-war period, around 1944 or 1945, when I was about 10. I began by cleaning floors at the famous Caffè Derna in Via Barnaba, then moved on to cutting and sewing leather for saddles and harnesses. After three and a half years, I trained with another skilled saddler in Taranto, but the travel costs were too high, so I returned to work at my parents' house, which had limited space. There, I made wallets and belts using materials from local shoemakers.

In 1952, I rented a small room on Via Gaetano Grassi. It was a tough time, but profitable too. I received an order from a Martina company to make leather frogs for duffle coats, and I enlisted friends to help. In 1955, I won a silver medal at the "Mostra Artigiana Ionica," which boosted my business and led to the creation of Carbotti Domenico. I continued searching for leather with my Vespa, traveling to places like Grottaglie, Crispiano, and Bari.