Caltagirone

Caltagirone, Sicily

This inland hilltop Sicilian town has been producing pottery long before the era of the Italian Renaissance, but it didn't play a major role in the production of the typical renaissance majolica ware. this was probably due to the location, far away from the wealthy patronage of Florence, Rome and Perugia. However, it is important to take a look at Caltagirone from an historical ceramics perspective. Caltagirone has also enjoyed a resurrection of it's ceramics and majolica industry in the last two centuries.
The town, occupied for centuries in the early years by Muslims, gained it's name from Arabic -derived word: "Calata" and "giarrone" meaning "hill of vases." Vast clay deposits and abundant wood from the forests provided the necessary resources for Caltagirone to develop a pottery industry. There was also a local honey industry in those early years, requiring jar for storage and exportation.
The Muslim inhabitation of Sicily brought the majolica glazing techniques to Caltagirone early on.
During the 14th and the late 16th centuries, Sicily was wracked by devastating earthquakes. Caltagirone was not spared. This, in part, may have contributed to the late development of the majolica industry in Caltagirone.
The town hosts a modest archaelogy and ceramics museum and a school of pottery.
It's worth a walk through the park and hilly streets of Caltagirone, just to enjoy how the town is completely decorated with majolica works.

view from the road approaching the city

Welcome to Caltagirone, "city of ceramics"

The center of town boasts a beautiful botanical garden, gazebo and walking park.

park sign, "It is forbidden to pick the flowers."

Carved, relief terracotta wall on perimeter of the town park

terra cotta statue in town park

This gazebo, located in the center of the park, is completely covered with beautifully glazed tiles and ceramic forms.

ceramic gargoyles

There is a strong Islamic influence in the basic design of the gazebo and in its tile patterns.

maljolica murals and one end of the park

Typical street sign in Caltagirone, this one indicated the ceramics museum, which is housed in an old theatre building.

Ceramics museum

Ceramics museum, view 2, note the tile decoration on the wall.

Famous tiled steps, leading up to the entrance to the Church of Santa Maria del Monte - the 142 steps, designed and built in the 1600s were intended to connect the lower part of the town (the newer part) to the old town center. The tile decoration was not added until 1953, by local town ceramists.