Montelupo Fiorentino is a pretty village, located just on the outskirts of Florence, that has been an important centre for handmade ceramics in Tuscany since the Middle Ages. Montelupo ceramics were traded and dispensed all across Europe and quickly became synonymous with quality and beautiful craftsmanship. Today, it is home to plenty of workshops still producing the pieces and a museum dedicated to the craft, the Museum of Ceramics in Montelupo. If you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are interested in Tuscany's long legacy of excellence in all of the arts but need a break from the busy historic centre and bustling museums of the city, this is a great place to soak up the region's history of artisanal prowess and even shop it, all while enjoying a slower pace and calmer lifestyle.
The production of archaic majolica began in the Middle Ages, a natural result of the abundance of clay that formed in the area due to the frequent flooding of the Arno river. In the Renaissance, the trade benefitted from the proximity to Florence, where noble families with money and a desire to patronise the creation of beautiful things were based.
As is the way with such things, however, this Golden Age of Montelupo ceramics could not last forever and its fame and prestige declined in the following centuries. Then, in the 1900s, the tradition was revitalised and many new ceramics workshops were established in the area. While the ceramics do not have the same kind of international fame and renown that the likes of Venetian Murano glass can boast, the trade is well and truly alive once more and is the most important economic activity in the area. More than 120 companies now create various kinds of terracotta and majolica artworks, from dinnerware to decorative pieces, in traditional and contemporary designs.
While much of the trade can be a bit standardised and uninventive, there are interesting works to be found. Just take your time to explore the town and its stores and workshops to find the unique gems hidden throughout.
If you are more interested in the history, rather than the modern day examples, then be sure to read on to the next article, which introduces the Museum of Ceramics...
As is the way with such things, however, this Golden Age of Montelupo ceramics could not last forever and its fame and prestige declined in the following centuries. Then, in the 1900s, the tradition was revitalised and many new ceramics workshops were established in the area. While the ceramics do not have the same kind of international fame and renown that the likes of Venetian Murano glass can boast, the trade is well and truly alive once more and is the most important economic activity in the area. More than 120 companies now create various kinds of terracotta and majolica artworks, from dinnerware to decorative pieces, in traditional and contemporary designs.
While much of the trade can be a bit standardised and uninventive, there are interesting works to be found. Just take your time to explore the town and its stores and workshops to find the unique gems hidden throughout.
If you are more interested in the history, rather than the modern day examples, then be sure to read on to the next article, which introduces the Museum of Ceramics...
Photo credit: LupoCapra / CC BY-SA 3.0