Gubbio

Located directly north of Perugia and Deruta, this hillside castle town is renowned for the renaissance decorative majolica technique of luster. Gubbio does not, in modern times, have a thriving majolica community as does Deruta and Vietri sul Mare, though there are a few shops with ware which is basically copied from popular current styles of Deruta. During the first half of the 16th century, however, Gubbio was renowned as the home of the workshop of the famous Maestro Georgio Andrioli. Maestro Georgio Andrioli and his sons mastered - and carefully guarded the recipes for- the secrets of luster. This "gilding" glaze was prized by the wealthy middle class of Italy as well as the Church and dynastic families of the major cities. Many of the successful majolica painters of Urbino sent their ware to Gubbio to be lustered and fired by the Maestro. The workshop of the Maestro prospered for 3 generations. Eventually the luster technique was successfully copied in other towns, such as Deruta and Montelupo. This technique of luster originated in Moorish Spain and it is believed that it was originally brought to Italy by Islamic potters who were exiled from Spain in the 15th century.