Spring 2007
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It has been over two months since we returned from Italy and we are finally getting back into our regular routine.
We had fantastic weather the entire trip and traveled over 2,800 miles from as far south as Sicilia to as far north as Aosta which is at the foot of the Alps. We spent our first few days in Sorrento and although most of the major hotels were closed for the season we found there were a lot of tourists in the area. Actually given the mild weather it was a good time to travel as nothing was crowded. The drive south to San Giovanni, to catch the ferry to Messina, was not the most picturesque but not as bad as we expected based on conversations with the people in Sorrento. The Autostrada south of Campania is certainly not as good as in the rest of Italy and I remembered hearing as a child it referred to as “lavoro per vita” which means it’s a job for life, it never gets done. Anyway, if you’ve never been to Sicilia we suggest you add it to your wish list as it is beautiful. We of course were on a mission and in fact did meet new artisans in Vietri sul Mare (Campagna) and Caltagirone and Sciacca in Sicilia. We have added pieces from these areas to our next shipment and hope you will like what we selected. The new shipment should be in the store by late May. The following are some highlights of our trip along with some recommendations for your planning file. Hope you enjoy. Laura and Bill Costiera Amalfitana We made our base in the center of Sorrento at the great little Hotel Antiche Mura which is right off the main square Piazza Tasso and did day trips which of course allowed Bill to practice his Italian driving skills on his favorite coastal highway. Unfortunately, he says it looses something when you’re driving a Renault Scenic. On one such trip to Vietri we decided to stop in Amalfi for lunch and to |
pick up some limoncello at Antichi Sapori d’Amalfi at Piazza Duomo 39, and naturally since we were there anyway we also needed to buy some lemon rinds dipped in chocolate (scorzette d’agrumi) for the trip home, Deliziose.
 Amalfi at one time was an independent maritime republic and now relies mostly on tourism, but it nevertheless is a pretty coastal town worth a visit. We had lunch  at Trattoria da Maria right off Piazza Duomo before heading off to Vietri. La Citta di Napoli Our final day trip was to Napoli to visit Via San Gregoria Armeno to see the workshops where they make the presepio figures and the crèches. We also wanted to visit the Duomo and of course lunch is always part of the agenda. Unfortunately after a long walk from the ferry we discovered the Duomo was closed, but along the way I was fascinated by the number of bridal shops we passed on Via Duomo. It has to be the bridal gown |
capital of the world, and what beautiful dresses. By this time of course it’s time for lunch and with the help of two local shop owners we are directed to a Ristorante a few blocks away. Ristorante Lombardi, Via Foria 12, has one of the best seafood salads I’ve had and Bill said his antipasto, a seafood misto, was to kill for. We had a great lunch and then needed to get some exercise. We made our way to Via San Gregoria Armeno where the famous Neapolitan crèche figures are crafted. This narrow street in
 the old part of the city is called the street of the “figurari” after the artisans who work there. In a few short blocks you can find everything you need for your authentic presepio. While the prices weren’t cheap some of the work is unbelievable in terms of the likeness of the faces etc. As we took the ferry back to Sorrento we agreed that we have to come back to Napoli. Bella Sicilia Our first stop in Sicilia was Hotel Giardino dei Greci in the seashore town of Giardini Naxos next to Taormina www.giardinodeigreci.com. Sunday was spent in Taormina on what turned out to be one of the best weather days of our trip. We spent part of the day at the Greek Amphitheatre (Teatro Greco) in 70 |
Gilardini Ceramica Italiana Newsletter
Spring 2007
degree sunshine. It’s quite a site to be sitting in the amphitheatre in the hill town of Taormina looking out over the Ionian Sea in one direction and Mt. Etna in the other. It’s easy to understand why it’s called the most beautiful town in Italy.
After a late lunch at Ristorante Angelo we did some window shopping along Corso Umberto and took in as much of Taormina as possible before the evening passegiatta began. By six o’clock the town had filled with people and it was hard to believe it was a January evening.  We decided to return to the hotel before dinner and inquired about a ristorante in Giardini Naxos. The downside of traveling in the winter is that although the hotel is open sometimes their dining facilities are not. In any case the hotel staff recommended a small seafood ristorante in town and it was great. Arcadia Ristorante at Via IV Novembre 15 is, in the off-season, the one man operation of Franco Amoroso who does everything. It’s a small ristorante, but the food and service is great and when the weather permits there is outside dining. It was so good we ended up eating there several more times during our stay. |
Ceramiche di Caltagirone The name Caltagirone derives from the Arab term Qalat-Jerun, which means "Castle of the burial grounds" because of the presence of vast necropolises throughout the territory dated from the 2nd millennium BC. The area is also rich in Argilla which is used to make ceramics and in fact Caltagirone has been making ceramics since the 11th century. The  town is particularly famous for its flight of 142 steps which lead up to the church of Santa Maria del Monte and are decorated entirely in polychrome majolica tiles. We visited several ceramicists and liked what we saw. We especially liked the work of Maurizio Romano who has been practicing the ceramic artistry he learned from his father for over forty years. On some of his pieces Signor Romano uses a process of applying paint in tiny drops rather than brush strokes, which produces a unique piece of ceramic art. He is also known in Italy for his collection of ceramic fish which we will also be bringing to the shop. 
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 Piazza Armerina While reading some travel information on Sicily we came upon a reference to Villa Romana dei Casale dei Saraceni in Piazza Armerina which is the ruins of a roman villa built in the first half of the 4th century AD and is famous for its mosaic tile floors throughout. We decided that it would be worth a detour on the trip to Agrigento to see this UNESCO site. The owner of this former hunting lodge is not certain, however, based on its size and amenities it most likely was built for someone in the Imperial hierarchy and provides an amazing look at how the imperial Romans lived. It is considered one of the most important surviving works created by the Romans in Sicily.  Valle dei Templi We chose Agrigento as our next base because of its location but more importantly because we wanted to see the Valle dei Templi. The ruins of this old Greek settlement are truly amazing; the site consists of the 5 temples, burial sites, and a museum. The Tempio della Concordia which unfortunately is under renovation is one of the two best preserved Greek temples in the world. |
Gilardini Ceramica Italiana Newsletter
Spring 2007
 The other four temples are in various stages of their past grandeur but nevertheless still quite impressive and definitely worth the trip. The town of  Agrigento is not all that interesting and we would recommend that you visit the Valle dei Templi as a day trip from elsewhere. Comune di Sciacca Our next day trip was to the seaside town of Sciacca which in addition to being a seaside resort town is one of the islands oldest spa towns, and is noted for ceramics. After spending the morning checking out the local ceramics we started looking for a place to eat. We  happened upon Trattoria La Vecchia Conza www.vecchiaconza.it which sounded pretty busy from the outside so we decided to try it. We were fortunate to get the last available table and quickly |
realized this was a popular “local” place where there isn’t even a menu. On this particular day lunch was a series of seafood dishes which are served family style. Each time we thought we had received the last dish the waiter would show up with another. If you’re ever in the area you have to try it. Sciacca also has one of Italy’s best Carnevale celebrations which dates to the 16th century. The main character of the events is “Peppi Nnappa” who dances and sings
in the street and invites people to enjoy themselves and forget the problems of everyday life. Although we were not there for Carnevale we were told it is quite an event with floats, and dancing in the streets until dawn. Perhaps another year we will plan on attending.
The next day we were off to Palermo to visit the De Simone factory and then catch the overnight ferry to Naples.
Umbrian Hospitality Our time in Deruta is almost as hectic as when we are in Ivrea. Having developed some wonderful relationships with our four producers in Umbria we never seem to schedule enough time to do everything we’d like. Although, we did manage to get our business done and still have time for some side trips to Assisi and Spoleto. 
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We also met the new owners of our home away from home in Deruta, L’Antico forziere. The country house and ristorante is now owned by the Rodella family and while they are making some changes the hospitality has not changed and we understand the ristorante under the direction of twins Stefano e Andrea Rodella is gaining quite a reputation in the area. If you are planning on spending some time exploring Umbria we suggest you look into L’Antico forziere. www.anticoforziere.it
Viareggio e Carnevale Our final day in Toscana was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the 60's. After we finished our meeting at IMA we decided to take a drive to the coastal resort town of Viareggio. Most famous for its carnevale which began in 1873 when a group of young students decided to form a parade of carriages covered in flowers and masks to celebrate Carnevale. The small carriages have evolved into elaborate papier-mâché floats which are paraded down the Viali a Mare crowded with thousands of people.  While we were a few days too early for the actual carnevale activities we decided we would try to see some of the floats as they were being constructed. But first we thought a stroll along the Viali a Mare and the marina was in order. We were surprised at how big the marina was and all the slips were full with all sizes of boats. We had lunch at Ristorante Tito del Molo which is located on the canal and watched the local fisherman selling the morning catch from their boats. We then made our way to Cittadella del |
Gilardini Ceramica Italiana Newsletter
Spring 2007
Carnevale (town of carnival) not knowing what to expect we thought perhaps we would see a few floats etc. To our surprise we found a modern facility the size of a small airport comprised of 16 large hangars where the floats are created. Because we were just a few weeks away from Carnevale the normal
 secrecy surrounding the floats was relaxed and we were allowed to walk around and peek into the workshops to see the floats. To build a typical float requires over 4,000 pounds of iron, over 3,000 pounds of plaster and over 4,000 pounds of papier-mâché. The floats themselves are enormous and on parade days each float carries about 200 people plus a band. In addition on the inside of the float are the 20 -30 workers who make the float work. We also visited the museum on the history of the Viareggio carnevale which includes many of the models used in prior years. Torino e Palazzo Madama One of the first things we heard about upon our arrival in Ivrea was that Palazzo Madama in Torino had reopened after an extensive 10 year renovation. Naturally a |
trip was planned with Luciano, Mariella and Giovanni for later in the week to see Palazzo Madame and the Museo Civico D’Arte Antica which is in the same building.
 At the time of the Roman Empire, a portion of what later became Palazzo Madama was the entrance gate to the city. Two tall towers, that still stand on the pedestrian side of the piazza, framed four arched openings that allowed entry into and exit from Augusta Taurinorum. During the first few decades of the 1300s, the fortified structure was transformed into a castle at the behest of Filippo I d'Acaja, of the House of Savoy. In 1637 Christine of France, regent of the duchy in the name of her underage son Carlo Emanuele II, designated the castle as her residence, but it was Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours, the widow of Carlo Emanuele II, who created the new image of that which has become Palazzo Madama. In 1718 she commissioned the 
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architect Filippo Juvarra the project of the grandiose building façade, one of the most important creations of baroque architecture in Europe. The history of Palazzo Madama is a rich one and continues today as the home of the Museo Civico D’Arte Antica which contains treasures from the Greco –Roman era to the 19th century. One of the more famous pieces is the “Portrait of an
Unknown Man” by Antonello da Messina painted in 1476 and there are also some amazing religious themed wood carvings from the Valle d'Aosta which are not normally seen in a museum. A visit to Palazzo Madama is a sure winner because you get to see a beautiful palace with all it’s wonderful rooms but you also have a museum which has a very interesting and diverse collection including by the way a collection of over 4,000 ceramics. As a matter of fact we noticed this bottle
 made in 1884 which may have been the inspiration for some pieces we have coming from Otello Dolfi. www.palazzomadamatorino.it |