A Century of Italian Ceramic Tradition

The Bitossi family, heirs to a centuries-old tradition, has been producing ceramics for generations, in the area of Montelupo Fiorentino, a place of ancient ceramic tradition since the 15th century. The company, founded by Guido Bitossi in 1921, found a new stylistic modernity in the 1950s under the artistic direction of Aldo Londi. In 1955 the company began a collaboration with architect Ettore Sottsass and other designers who, attracted by the historicity of the brand, would continue to create collections of high aesthetic and conceptual value. The company today, led by Ginevra Bitossi, the fourth generation of the family, through investigations in the Bitossi Museum Archive, offers design collections, with evocative references to the history of the product.

Bitossi preserves a unique archive spanning centuries of history. How do memory and contemporary design dialogue in your collections today?

For us, memory is never a nostalgic exercise; it is an active design tool. The Fondazione Vittoriano Bitossi, which houses the company’s Industrial Archive, contains over 7,000 pieces and tells not only the story of Bitossi Ceramiche but also the evolution of taste, design, and society. This archive is the starting point for all our contemporary collaborations: a visit to it is always the first step for any designer we work with.

We believe it is essential to understand the brand’s historical and artistic roots in order to reinterpret them in a contemporary key. Certain marks, colors, or formal languages from the past become reference points—a kind of compass guiding the creative process. In this way, the past is not simply reproduced but transformed: it becomes living material that allows us to look to the future without losing what has made Bitossi recognizable over time.

Collaborations with great designers have deeply shaped the brand’s identity. What value does creative dialogue with new design voices have today?

Creative dialogue has always been an integral part of Bitossi’s DNA. Every year, during Salone del Mobile, we seek to create a conversation between different perspectives: on one side, designers with a more classical approach or extensive experience; on the other, younger, experimental, often emerging voices.

Working with new generations of designers is tremendously valuable, especially when they do not have a formal background in ceramics. This “fresh” perspective opens unexpected possibilities and allows us to push beyond the technical and formal limits we sometimes take for granted. The magic happens in the interaction between designers and artisans—a process full of trials, mistakes, intuition, and discovery.

These collaborations enrich not only our catalog but also our know-how. Even after more than a century of history, we continue to learn, to question what we know, and to reinvent our approach to working with ceramics.

What role does ceramic decoration play in the emotional storytelling of contemporary interiors?

For a long time, ceramics were considered a “minor” material, but today they are finally returning to a central role in design dialogue. Ceramics contribute significantly to defining a space, but they never act alone: it is the overall approach to styling and decoration that builds a coherent, emotional narrative.

Ceramics, like any material, are a means of expression. The interpretation of the interior designer makes all the difference, as each person brings a unique cultural and personal background. Incorporating a Bitossi Ceramiche piece into an interior is not just about adding a decorative object—it introduces a design idea, a contemporary gesture, a fragment of history, and an artisanal production method deeply rooted in the territory. In this sense, ceramics become an emotional vehicle: an element capable of telling stories, evoking memory, and giving depth to the spaces we inhabit.