In an effort to establish a vibrant economy and to secure bragging rights as India's most exquisite court, Sawai Jai Singh invited the country's top craftsmen and merchants to set up shop within the walls of his new city, offering perks like free land and guaranteed royal patronage.
So far, it has restored hundreds of historic buildings, trained local craftsmen in traditional building skills, and helped villagers to set up small business ventures.
For the older generation, including Mr. Dufour, who is considered within the small network of autonomous watchmakers to be the greatest living craftsman in the field, the quartz revolution forced them to set out on their own.
Immediately after Pope Benedict XVI announced his plans to retire, the craftsmen at Gammarelli set to work on their challenging Goldilocks task.
These guilds were fraternities of craftsmen that set out to manage their local affairs including "prices, workmanship, the welfare of its workers, and the suppression of interlopers and sharp practices".
In recognition of its historic importance, the building's external appearance was preserved, but under Vasari's direction an army of artists and craftsmen now set about transforming its interiors into a floor-to-ceiling decorative celebration of the Medici in general and Cosimo in particular.
For $229 a person, you get a seven-hour tour through Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, the Central Shops (where craftsmen make set pieces for the parks), Disney's Wilderness Lodge (for a barbecue lunch) and the Walt Disney World Nursery and Tree Farm (to meet with horticulture experts).
He then set about restoring the houses, using skilled local craftsmen to install plumbing, bathrooms and modern amenities, keeping the exposed wooden beans and thick stone walls.
And what had he inspired his master craftsmen to create?
Knowing little about stained glass, he went to Germany to seek craftsmen to assist him.
