Blog: Discover Italy

Deruta Pottery: History of Italy's Famous Hand-Painted 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 13th 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 desi …

The Results are in – L’Aquila has won the July 3rd, 2026 Il Palio di Siena. The Nobile Contrada dell'Aquila (Aquila) won the Palio of July 2, 2026, which took place today, Friday, July 3, after being postponed due to inclement weather. The Contrada’s horse Diodora was rode by Jockey Giovanni Atzeni, known as Tittia, who also won the July Palio last year for Contrada Oca.  There was no stopping Aquila in this race as they immediately took the lead and led the race unti …

History of the Raffaellesco Deruta Pattern The Raffaellesco pattern, renowned for its central motif of the benevolent dragon, surrounded by intricate floral arabesques in a bright color palette of yellow, blue and green, is one of the most famous and enduring styles of Italian Deruta ceramics. Originating in the 16th-century, the Raffaellesco decoration takes its name and inspiration from the “grotesque” style of the famous Renaissance painter Raffaello Sanzio, otherwise known as Rap …

CARING FOR YOUR ITALIAN CERAMICS All our Italian Ceramic Dinnerware and Tabletop Products are guaranteed to be 100% Food Safe.Our manufactures do NOT use any glaze or color pigment with lead content in our dinnerware and tabletop products, and these products comply with FDA Regulations. Fratelli Mari All Fratelli Mari products are made with lead-free enamels and colors, are food-safe, and dishwasher-safe.  All the products and colors they use are lead free and also meet California regu …

Italian Pottery Marks: What "Made in Italy," "Dipinto a Mano" & Other Marks Mean Handcrafted pottery has been a hallmark of the Italian peninsula for a very long time – The Greeks, The Etruscans and the Romans – but it was during the Renaissance in the 15th-16th century, that Italy gained fame for her exception pottery known as majolica – a tin-glazed earthenware decorated with colorful designs. As trade developed and expanded, towns such as Deruta and Castelli began inscri …

How to Identify Authentic Italian Pottery: 7 Signs to Look For I don't know about you, but I love discovering Italian ceramics—whether I'm wandering through a pottery workshop in Italy, shopping at an antique store, or even browsing the shelves at HomeGoods. But when a colorful Italian ceramic plate or bowl is marked "Made in Italy," how can you tell whether you've found a piece of authentic, handcrafted Italian pottery or something that was mass-produced? After importing handcrafted Itali …