Il Ceppo
Giorgio Imperatori, an architect, with a passion for pipes started designing and making Il Ceppo’s in the late 1970's in Pesaro, Italy. These pipes are of the * neo-classical Pesaro school of design. It includes Ser Jacopo & L’Antara etc. In 1995 Franco Rossi joined Gorgio. Franco brought a new elegance to the pipes, in Italian best described as ‘Sprezzatura’. Since Gorgio retired all Il Ceppo’s are made by Franco and his sister. Interestingly Massimo Palazzi worked at Il Ceppo until the late 90s when he left and started L’Anatra. The Pesaro pipe world is somewhat inbred.
Il Ceppo because of their limited production have not been well known in the USA. I have smoked a fair number, and all were good. Their previous ineffective US marketing arrangements have ended. I have always wanted to be able to offer them to a wider public. Now pipes2smoke is pleased to offer them a new audience. Neo-classical refers to Pesaro school deriving their shape from the traditional UK shapes.