Bernardino Ficarelli

The Decorator

Bernardino Ficarelli was born in January 7th, 1887, in Bitetto, province of Bari in Italy. Came to Brazil as a child and lived in São Paulo where he studied in the beginning of the century in the "Liceu de Artes e Oficios" ( Arts and Crafts Lyceum ). Started working in decoration as apprentice of Sebastião Sparapani.

Bernardino went back to Italy in 1909 to continue his studies. He attended the Academies of Fine Arts in Rome and Florence between 1909 and 1913, when he develop the friendship with Giovanni Brancaccio. During the First World War he lived for one year in the United States of America.

Back to São Paulo, he established himself as decorator painter in mansions which interiors he decorated with eclectic and high taste compositions. He was a requested master decorator in São Paulo. Between 1918-1921 he joined Ernesto Frioli and created the company "Frioli & Ficarelli", it was a short partnership but Bernardino Ficarelli continued to carried out major projects in mansions that was then settled on Avenida Paulista, in Higenópolis, and other places in São Paulo of which only studies and projects remain today. Ficarelli remained active on this work until about 1936 and for years he had the collaboration of art apprentices like Alfredo Volpi and Francisco Rebollo.

The Painter