We were pretty floored when we read this amazing article about Renaissance bottegas (or “workshops”) which took place regularly among 15th-century Florence entrepreneurs.
According to the article, which was written by Piero Formica, these ancient coworking spaces were a place “in which master artists were committed to teaching new artists, talents were nurtured, new techniques were at work, and new artistic forms came to light with artists competing among themselves but also working together.” It was a place which revolutionized the way artisans and craftsman perceived the world by working amongst one another.
Formica explains that the bottegas had three main selling points:
Turning ideas into action. Todays coworking spaces are the safest place for your innermost brain dump! Your fellow coworkers are there to help lift you up, challenge your ideas, and assist in making them a reality.
Fostering dialogue. When we cowork, we expand our understanding of one another as human beings through dialogue.
Facilitating the convergence of art and science. Technological advances meet aesthetic beauty in today’s coworking spaces. And it’s beautiful!
WELL, coworking community—there’s your history lesson for the day!
