History of Deruta Ceramics

Ceramics have been made in Italy for thousands of years, with artifacts dating back to the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman periods. Upon discovery of high quality, local clay, the residents of Deruta began making ceramics towards the end of the 13^th century. At first, the potters of Deruta produced everyday objects such as plates, pots, vases and urns. These items were simply painted using brown and green glazes and simple geometric designs. Orange, yellow and red decoration soon followed. As ceramic production continued to grow, the potters of Deruta established a potter’s guild in 1336 to protect potters and regulate the industry.

During the 14^th century, trade increased between Italy and the outside world bringing Italy into contact with Moorish traders who peddled brightly painted pottery from the region of Valencia through the Spanish island of Majorca. The Italians believing that these wares were from Majorca and began calling the pottery maiolica.

Soon the Italians learned how to craft their ceramics using the maiolica technique, which involved the method where low-fire earthenware clay was covered with an opaque, white tin-based glaze and then painted with colorful imagery before a final firing. Because the white base glaze was unfired, it was able to absorb the pigments into its surface which allowed an artist to achieve crisp, vibrant, and highly detailed paintings without the colors bleeding or running together during the kiln firing.

By 1401, the first ceramic factory opened in Deruta, which was founded by Agostino di Antonio di Duccio, a pupil of Luca della Robbia. With the dawn of the Renaissance, the evolution from purely domestic ceramics to objects for ornamental purposes evolved. Objects with new shapes developed with the improvement of the lathe and techniques and decorations progressed.  Original and highly refined works begin to emerge, with an orderly and geometric ornamental arrangement. Deruta maioliche became a prized art and demand for the pottery especially among wealthy, influencial lords grew.  Growing demand for Deruta pottery brought with it additional workshops and by 1501 a renowned factory was in operation. New designed continued to emerge, but around this time the quintessential Deruta patterns were born – Raffaellesco and Ricco.

Demand for Deruta ceramics within Italy and abroad reached its high point during the 16^th and 17the centuries. The 18^th and 19^th centuries saw a decline in production as the political and styles of Italy changed. During this time, trade with other countries decreased as did the demand locally and thus the quality diminished.  

During the late 19^th century/early 20^th century, a revival occurred in Deruta to revamp their ceramic tradition. The establishment of the Museo Regionale della Ceramica in 1898 played a crucial role in preserving and revitalizing Deruta's ceramic traditions. In 1903, the Communal School of Design was founded to train a new generation of local artisans.

This was soon followed by the establishment in 1904 of the Società Anonima Maioliche Deruta, which was the first major enterprise to organize the town's small artisan workshops into a single unified manufacturing operation, managed by Giovanni Baiano. The Società was able to revive local trade with Rome and expand into the international market. By the 1970’s the factory closed due to financial difficulties. At this point, many employees from the factory opened their own workshops.

Today though there are only about 9500 residents of Deruta, you will discover are over 200 factories/ workshops in Deruta producing ceramics. Each year over 20,000 tourists visit Deruta in search of beautiful Italian ceramics.

Sources:

https://amaco.com/resources/lesson-plans/majolica-renaissance

https://www.secretumbria.it/en/deruta-ceramics-an-umbrian-artistic-production-famous-all-over-the-world/

Strafforello, Gustavo (1895). La patria; geografia dell'Italia. Provincia di Perugia. Unione Tipografico-Editrice. p. 38.