Puglia, or Apulia, is the region of Southeastern Italy. The Adriatic Sea borders it to the east and the Ionian Sea to the south and west. The coastal plains are entirely covered by beautiful orchards, vineyards, and olive groves. Apulia produces more olive oil than any other region in Italy. Chief among the many full-bodied…

About 20 miles southeast of Taranto is Grottaglie, which is the biggest center in Pugliese ceramics production. The town derives its name from the numerous grotte or caves in the region. In these caves, the local population took refuge from the Saracen invasions in the 10th century. Later, in the 13th century, the urban center…

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Located at its center is a necessary port of call to sea traders from east to west and north to south. A brief overview of Sicily’s history shows the extent of its rich diversity. Around 750 BCE, Sicily was colonized by the Phoenicians in the west and…

Caltagirone is an ancient town that extends across the top of three hills in the middle of Sicily. Archeological research conducted in the area uncovered remains of Pre-Hellenic and Hellenic pottery. This discovery is especially noteworthy in a particularly beautiful vase with red figures, now at the Museo Regionale Della Ceramica, depicting a ceramist using…

The town of Santo Stefano di Camastra was founded in 1683 after a terrible landslide and flood destroyed the previous inland settlement of Casale di Santo Stefano. A local landlord, Giuseppe Lanza Barresi, Duke of Camastra, supervised the construction of the new Baroque urban center, located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily at the base…

Tuscany is a region of central Italy located between the Apennines and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region was the heart of the Etruscan civilization from the 9th century BCE to their assimilation by the Romans six centuries later. The Etruscans sparked the centuries-old tradition of pottery making in the Tuscan region. Beautiful terra cotta clay…

Montelupo Fiorentino is a tourist destination for all who seek hand-painted Tuscan ceramics. It is the center of Italian pottery, or maiolica, production in the region and has been since before the Renaissance. Montelupo is located at the Pesa and Arno rivers’ confluence, just a few miles west of Florence. The area is rich in…

The Chianti Region is primarily famous for its homonymous wine, for the striking allure of its landscape, the proximity of Florence and Siena’s hugely important cultural centers, and the many culinary treasures. Relatively recently, there has been a new reason to visit Chianti. Several small ceramic producers have relocated to the region. We are proud to…

Umbria is a landlocked region of Central Italy southeast of Tuscany. It’s known as La Verde Umbria for its heavily forested hills and mountains and its extensively cultivated valleys. The region is home to some of the most picturesque, well-preserved medieval towns in Italy, including Perugia, Gubbio, Todi, Spoleto, Orvieto, and Assisi. The Upper Tiber…

Deruta is one of the most famous, if not the most famous, of the many Italian ceramic centers. It sits on top of a hill that emerges from the middle of the Tiber Valley, just south of Perugia. Today, most of the ceramic studios are found in Deruta’s more modern area, which is at the…

Gubbio has a long history. It was already occupied during the Bronze Age. Federico, the Duke of Montefeltro, immortalized in the famed portrait by Piero Della Francesca, was born in the town in the 15th century. He commissioned the building of the most notable of the town’s many exquisite buildings, the Palazzo del Consoli. The…