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There is something magic in the ceramist’s ritual gestures. Nothing has
changed for centuries, but they are still unique. The wet clay come up from
the lathe, moulding in different shapes, always unique, as the gesture of a
creative artist is.
They shape, mould and decorate following a ritual which has been modified
very little through the years, and this creative gesture repeat itself
infinitely in the old artisan workshops, in the famous Quartiere delle
Ceramiche, at the bottom of the Medieval castle in Grottaglie.
It bear the witness to the history and to the past. Here for centuries and
still today the old artisan production proliferates. the Quartiere delle
Ceramiche in Grottaglie is a unique place in Italy, since it’s the only one
that gives evidence of a continuity in time of ceramic production. This is
also its distinctive element compared with the other 25 old prestigious
centres protected by a trade mark (D.O.C. ) for traditional and artistic
ceramics. Grottaglie is the only recognised centre in Puglia. Here, in fact,
more than 60 workshops and art studios scattered for the most along the
charming Quartiere, where every year two interesting exhibitions are held:
the Mostra della Ceramica in August, and the Mostra del Presepe in December.
The new millennium has seen the birth of the Museum of Ceramics, placed in
the south-eastern wing of the Castle. The Museum has the purpose of
reconstructing the local pottery art’s history by means of the exchange made
with and the influences received from other civilizations throughout the
centuries.
The museum collection follows a chronological path, covering a period ranging
from the late XVII century until the middle of the XX century, and it
includes both popular and refined production.
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