Ceramics

With centuries of history and artistry, Italian ceramics stand among the finest in the world. Entirely handmade and hand-painted, each piece is a singular expression of regional identity and craftsmanship. More than decorative art, Italian pottery reflects a deep cultural heritage—one passed down through generations, preserving time-honored techniques and celebrating the enduring beauty of tradition.

Italy’s ceramic tradition is as diverse as its regions, with each center offering a unique expression of artistry shaped by geography, culture, and centuries of craftsmanship.

In Sicily, the town of Caltagirone stands out for its sculptural ceramics and vibrant architectural tiles, thanks to the region’s abundance of clay and wood. Apulia is known for its luminous majolica—white-glazed ceramics with green and yellow details—most notably from Grottaglie, where every piece is still hand-painted using age-old techniques. In Campania, the coastal town of Vietri sul Mare boasts a tradition of brightly colored terracotta tiles, or riggiole, often inspired by pastoral scenes.

Umbria offers a distinctive touch with the lustro technique, giving ceramics iridescent golden or ruby hues. Towns like Deruta and Gubbio remain celebrated hubs for decorative ware. In Liguria, Albissola ceramics feature delicate blue-on-white motifs—biblical, mythological, or pastoral—known as Antico Savona. Meanwhile, Tuscany’s Montelupo Fiorentino has been a center of production since the Renaissance, renowned for its intricate Gothic florals and poetic motifs.

Faenza, in Emilia-Romagna, lends its name to faience pottery, a symbol of refined Italian ceramic artistry since the 14th century. In Piedmont, brightly painted utilitarian ceramics are complemented by the sophisticated neriage or millefiori technique, which blends clays to achieve stunning marbled effects. Finally, Veneto's Nove and Este are distinguished by their floral patterns, glossy enamels, and signature yellow-tinted clay.

At the heart of these traditions is majolica, a tin-glazed earthenware that originated in the Renaissance. Known for its crisp white background and vivid earth-toned pigments, majolica employs techniques like lustro—which uses silver or copper for a metallic sheen—and spolvero, a meticulous method of dusting patterns onto the surface to guide hand-painted decoration.