Why it belongs in ORBIS
Florence pen maker founded in 1988 by Luigi Poli and Dante Del Vecchio. Its Homo Sapiens Lava line, launched in 2010, uses a patented resin-bound basaltic lava composite from Mount Etna, hand-finished by artisans in Florence.
Visconti is a pen manufacturer founded in Florence in 1988 by Luigi Poli and Dante Del Vecchio; its first line, Classic, was made from celluloid. In 2010 the company introduced Homo Sapiens, distinguished by a proprietary material combining more than 50 percent basaltic lava powder sourced from Mount Etna, reinforced with resin. Most Homo Sapiens pens use Visconti's own vacuum-based Power Filler filling system. Each pen is handcrafted by artisans at the company's Florence workshop.