LEAVE IT TO THE ITALIANS TO TURN a bathroom tile into a work of art. Vibrant colors and timeless designs turn their ceramics into irresistible treasures.
The craft took off during the Renaissance, mainly in small towns close to hills full of perfect-for-pottery clay. These are the towns to shop in—where you’ll see artisans following centuries-old traditions and can pick up ceramics for much lower prices than in big city stores.
The major ceramics towns (over thirty) are scattered up and down the boot and have been officially designated “Cities of Italian Ceramics.”
I have to warn you about some of them (such as Deruta and Vietri sul Mare). These places are packed with shop after beautiful shop. In other words, do not take along a not-interested-in-ceramics partner or child. Or plan ahead to have them enjoy themselves at a restaurant as you blissfully poke about. They also generally have ceramics museums, which are great to stop by before your shopping excursions to get an idea of the traditions being followed in each town.
Just like pasta shapes, ceramic styles differ from region to region. Along with every style there’s a fascinating back story. One of the all-time most startling comes from Sicily.
If you’ve ever wandered around the island, you’ll have seen planters on balcony ledges that were shaped and painted to look like Moors’ heads—mustachioed, dark-eyed, turbaned guys. The legend of the Teste di Moro goes that around the year 1000, in Palermo’s Kalsa neighborhood, there lived a beautiful virgin. Like all young Sicilian girls, she was forbidden to leave the house and could only watch the world from her balcony as she tended her garden.
One day, a handsome Moor passed by, looked up, and declared his love at first sight for the young maiden. She instantly fell for him, gave up her precious virtue, and passionate lovemaking ensued.
But then the girl discovered the horrid truth: the Moor was married with children and on his way back to his family. To get her revenge, on their last night together, she slit his throat and cut his whole head off. She put the head on her balcony, scattering basil seeds into it. The plant grew so lush that every girl in town wanted to have a planter just like it. Since cutting off real Moors’ heads was awfully inconvenient, ceramic ones were made, and a new design for Sicilian pottery was launched.
Whether you’re shopping for a planter or plate, keep an eye out for authenticity. Like Italian D.O.C. wines, ceramics that conform to government standards for following Italian traditions are stamped: Ceramica Artistica & Tradizionale. If it’s not stamped, check for an unglazed ring at the bottom, which means it’s been traditionally fired, and look at the decoration. If the brushstrokes are uneven, it’s handpainted. Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake my friend Tita did, when she bought a bowl in Positano and didn’t discover a “Made in Japan” stamp on it until it was shipped home.
It’s impossible to narrow down places for you to shop for ceramics, because Italy is so rich with them they’d fill another book. But do keep in mind such off-our-beaten track ceramic towns, such as Castelli in Abruzzo, Faenza in Emilia-Romagna, and Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto. In the meantime, I’ve provided some suggestions.
UMBRIA
Deruta
Italy’s most famous ceramic town is chockablock with hundreds of shops. Among the designs you’ll find are the bella donna (beautiful woman), created in the sixteenth century, featuring profiles of beautiful women. You’ll also see albarelli (old-fashioned pharmacy jars) decorated in Raffaellesco style, with golden dragons and mythological beasts. These got their name from the artist Raphael, who copied the images from frescos in ancient Roman villas that were excavated during his Renaissance days. Among the loads of high-quality shops, are:
Popular with locals and tourists as the place to go for everyday ceramics at great prices.
One of the oldest family-run businesses in the world, Grazia started out in the sixteenth century making pottery for churches and now their clients include department stores like Neiman Marcus. The shop is huge and my friend Patty tipped me off that to the left as you enter there are seconds available for discount prices.
Gubbio
In this serene, magical hill town, you’ll find a style called bucchero, influenced by Etruscan pottery, with a black background and copper-colored decoration. Gubbio is also known for lustreware, pottery painted with vivid colors that has an iridescent sheen. Check out:
Orvieto
Along with bucchero, Orvieto’s styles feature unusual colors like verde ramina, which resembles the green oxide of copper church bells. Right next to the magnificent Duomo, stop here for an excellent selection and free shipping:
AMALFI COAST
This region’s lemon trees, flowers, fish, and cobalt sea appear in the maioliche found in such towns as:
Vietri Sul Mare
This major ceramic center is known for its beautiful decorative tiles, which are exported worldwide.
The Gaudi-style exterior of this huge warehouse sets this shop apart from the cutesier places in town. The selection is overwhelming, including adorable tableware featuring animals—from chickens to pigs.
Ravello
In this gorgeous shop, near the piazza, the work of top artisans includes giant platters that are absolute masterpieces.
SICILY
Bold colors, folksy patterns, and planters in shapes of heads of Noblemen and Moors characterize the ceramics of this beautiful island. The star ceramics town is Caltagirone, with its 142-step Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte made of exquisitely painted tiles. Of the many shops surrounding this masterpiece, check out:
TIP: For a list of places certified by the Association of Italian Ceramic Cities: www.ceramics-online.it.
Golden Day: Go to Gubbio, not only to shop for ceramics, but to enjoy this gem of a peaceful medieval town. Eat at Ristorante Federico da Montefeltro (Via della Repubblica 35, 075 927 3949, closed Wednesday, www.federicomontefeltro.it) and stay at Hotel Relais Ducale (www.relaisducale.com), a restored Duke’s palace.
RECOMMENDED READING
Deruta, a Tradition of Italian Ceramics by Elizabeth Helman Minchilli