Chiavari is a sunny town on the Italian Riviera, close to the more famous Portofino.

The art of carving had been a specialty of Chiavari’s craftsman since the year 1200, at which time they had been making ornaments and oars for the Genoa Republic. By the year 1800, the Rapinaro district had become home to a great many craft workshops where cabinet and chair makers were creating products of seasoned wood. The legs and backs of the chairs they made were contoured to follow the natural shape of the branch from which they came. The town’s craftsmen braided willow ribbons to make the seats that brought the Chiavari name into this world.

The chairs originated when the Marquis Rivarola; Ambassador of the Genoa Republic, brought samples of some extremely elegant chairs back from a trip to France. He gave the chairs to Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi for evaluation. Guiseppe’s nickname was “Bell Ringer”, which stemmed from his parent’s occupation as bell ringers.

The skilled craftsman that he was, Guiseppe not only evaluated the chairs but redesigned them. The chair he gave birth to far exceeded the French models in both functionality and beauty. Even Antonio Canova himself congratulated the Bell Ringer for his accomplishments in designing a lighter, yet stronger chair. Local craftsman boasted “They weigh less than two pounds but can hold up to a ton,” about the chairs which sometimes weighed in at under 800 grams. The harmony of the legs and backs of the chairs provided for the extremely elegant design.

Although it all began with the “Bell Ringer” design, as the chairs gained popularity countless other verions have emerged. These versions include the more sophisticated Parisian; with its four rods across the back, remarkably similar to the Parisian is the ”Philippinian”, and the most recent Three Arches design.
The Rupinaro district is no longer the thriving crafts center it had once been, Although the Chiavari are still made here, in the same small shops which birthed the design, the prospective has changed.

Quantity has been replaced with quality. Buying a “Chavarina” today is like buying a unique piece of art. Each is handcrafted with the skill and tradition of generations of craftsman, making each one an individual piece like no other.

As a matter of fact, CHIAVARI (NOT CHIVARI!!) was also the name of the very popular ballroom wood chair usually available in gold, silver, black, white, natural color, very popular in the Special Event Markets.

DRAKE has introduced, at the end of the year 2000, the new NON WOOD CHIAVARI version...in gold, silver, black or white all through color. That meant no more painting, no more chipping, no more headaches.
In 2006 the chair was redesign with new material to make it top of the line, a masterpiece of furniture engineering.

The NON WOOD CHIAVARI (Stacking Resin Chiavari Chair by Drake Corp.) is ideal for inside formal events, but can easily stand the sun, the rain, the snow... and you could use it also for a formal event "al fresco".
The NON WOOD CHIAVARI stacks and locks itself one into the other for a better, easier and safer handling.

For more then 20 years now, Drake NON WOOD Chiavari Stacking Chairs have been a beloved piece of equipment in the rental, catering and foodservice markets for their durability and ease of maintenance, requiring only cleaning to look good and perfect for any event!!!