Essence of the Craft: Passing the Torch 

Over time, one of the departments that changed the most, in both scale and technique, was welding.

In the mid-1990s, at the Pian di San Bartolo factory, every weld was done by one person: Ugo Parigi. Although he had already reached retirement age, he continued working, waiting to pass his knowledge on before leaving the workshop. Every boiler and every hydraulic pipe for each espresso machine passed through his hands. 

When Lorenzo Carcasci arrived, he was still very young but already experienced in oxy-acetylene welding from his time working in a jewelry workshop. Under Ugo’s guidance, he began a meticulous training process that, after a year, allowed him to work independently. 

At the time, the workshop in Pian di San Bartolo was small and deeply connected to its surroundings. Boilers were washed in a concrete basin, with the woods visible just outside the window. 

A year later, new international food safety regulations required updated welding techniques. Together with Piero Bambi, Lorenzo began studying TIG welding, expanding both his skills and the department’s possibilities. 

As production grew, some welding work was temporarily outsourced to support the increasing demand and allow Lorenzo to continue developing his expertise. By 2009, his experience had become central to the experimental department, where he focused more on prototyping than on production. 

In 2013, Massimo Rusci joined La Marzocco. A master goldsmith by trade, Massimo helped rebuild the welding department and bring the work back in-house. While Lorenzo moved to Officine Fratelli Bambi at the Accademia del Caffè Espresso, Massimo, alongside Leonardo La Placa, began structuring both the preparation and welding workshops. 

Over time, Leonardo also dedicated himself fully to welding, and new members joined the team. Today, the department has grown into a team of 14 people, including preparation and welding specialists.