Massimiliano Scarpa is a goldsmith and has operated his own workshop for more than twenty years. He was first an apprentice and then a collaborator of his father-in-law Rino Sambo; for seventeen years he learned the craft by participating in important restorations including at the Doge's Palace and other prestigious Venetian palaces, both on ceilings and on furniture with gilding, lacquer and other types of decorations. Today Massimiliano creates mirrors, headboards and bedside tables, also carved. He also works with gondolas, in particular double gondolas (all gilded) but also normal gondolas, gilded only in some parts (crests and centers). As for all exterior gilding, the gilding on gondolas is done "a missione" (that is, with glue and without the bolus). The gold leaf is thicker than that used for interiors and must be pure gold, so that it does not oxidize in contact with atmospheric agents and salt.