This fireplace will be available for viewing at our premises starting on 01/31/2026.
BUT IS IT REALLY TRUE THAT… “EVERYONE CAN GET RICH — EXCEPT THE POOR”?!
Does anyone remember the story of Reginaldo Cirò?
No? You’re all too young — which unfortunately means that I’m the one who’s too old…
Anyway, enough melancholy. Let’s tell the story of our Reginaldo — a story that both does and does not have something to do with our fireplace, but one that I still enjoy sharing with you.
Reginaldo was a Calabrian factory worker living in Turin. Decades ago, immediately after the New Year’s Lottery draw (first prize: 100 million lire; hosted by the unforgettable Raffaella Carrà, beloved by all Italians), his Calabrian-Turin friends played him a truly cruel joke: they spread the rumor that he was the winner — even providing his home address and workplace.
It became a full-blown siege. Newspapers splashed photos of Cirò everywhere, even from his infancy. Journalists from all over Italy seemed interested in no one else but Reginaldo, and headlines followed one after another:
“LOTTERY WINNER FOUND — HE’S A CALABRIAN IMMIGRANT!”
“EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE LUCKY NABOB!”
…and so on.
But the most relentless (and fearsome) were his relatives. Even those related by the tenth degree of kinship suddenly considered themselves entitled partners in Reginaldo’s newfound fortune. They showed up at his tiny apartment in biblical-exodus numbers, fully prepared to camp there until their financial and familial claims were satisfied.
At first, Cirò was stunned. Then fear took over, leading him to make the fatal mistake. He decided to flee.
“I’m going to the station to buy cigarettes,” he told his wife.
He did reach the train station — but with the intention of leaving the country altogether, perhaps for Germany, to escape everyone and everything.
There, however, railway workers recognized him. At first, they tried to celebrate him, but when the desperate Cirò reacted irritably, things escalated: a shove here, a slap there — until they began beating him badly.
As a result, Reginaldo missed the train, lost three teeth, his wallet, and shortly afterward… his factory job as well.
MORAL OF THE STORY
It would seem that the “poor” (that is, all of us who are not named Berlusconi, Agnelli, or Tronchetti…) are simply not allowed to get rich — not even pretend to!
I wrote “it would seem” because, in fact, I believe — and I suspect many of you do too — that true wealth lies in being content with what one can have.
For example, owning this exquisitely refined Neoclassical fireplace, rich in history and art, sculptural effort and lines that are as simple as they are harmonious — a possession that can make one feel wealthy even without winning millions in the New Year’s Lottery.
KEY FEATURES OF THIS LOUIS XVI–STYLE FIREPLACE
Parisian provenance — dismantled directly on site in the “White City.”
Unmistakably Italian carving (which means the very best, without exception).
Mid-19th century.
Excellent overall condition.
Calacatta Gold marble (or Calacatta Dorato, if you prefer) of outstanding quality.
Anyone who, not trusting my assertions alone, would like clarification on what I define as “high-quality marble” is welcome to call me — I’ll explain in two minutes flat (with guaranteed victory!) why the marble used for this noble fireplace is of remarkable quality.
But perhaps its most important quality is the one my son Enrico summed up perfectly with a single adjective: “exceedingly charming.”
Indeed, the two floral carvings on either side of the frieze, combined with the wonderful colors of the marble and its delightfully compact size (notice how fireplaces of the same model become more charming the smaller they are…), all this abundance of beauty makes this small yet precious fireplace truly — and irresistibly — charming.
