Caltagirone and Ceramiche DiFra

Tiled decoration found in nooks and crannies everywhere, Caltagirone in central Sicily, at the foot of active volcano Mount Etna, is one of the most important ceramic centers of the world. Its classic Sicilian Baroque architecture is punctuated by splashes of colorful ceramics, and is brilliantly reflected in the artwork of the hundreds of contemporary ceramics factories throughout the old town. This amazing terracotta experience culminates in the main piazza of town where the tiled rises of the 142 steps of La Scala, pictured above, climb up to Santa Maria del Monte church. The DiFra factory store is located at the base of the steps, and through them we will take you on a trip to this magical medieval hilltown of southern Italy.

Ceramics museum

As you wander through Caltagirone you inevitably come upon more ceramics embedded in the old building facades. The wall pictured here with the colorful vases separates the main street of Via Roma from the Ceramics Museum at the top of a hill to the right. At the top end of Via Roma is the bridge pictured below with its tiled rail.

Ponte San Francesco

 

The Baroque Designs of DiFra.

Behind the Caltagirone walls one can find a plethora of ceramic factories and artisans. Perhaps because of their detailed artwork, or the vibrant cobalt blues, we liked the work and the typically Sicilian warm hearts of the artisans at DiFra. In any case, their work certainly embodies the movement of Sicilian Baroque art and architecture which can be summed as "warmth and ebullience, gaiety, energy, freedom and fantasy". Sicily is full of towns with Baroque architecture such as Noto, Ragusa, Enna, Palermo where the buildings have elaborate facades with buttressed balconies and swirly wrought iron rails, manic heads, griffins, horses, monsters, and mythical figures. Some say the Baroque was borrowed from Rome where it may have originated, but others say it was brought to Sicily from Spain. In the ceramic design from Sicily, perhaps the intense cobalt blue seems inspired by the Spanish style. DiFra seem to have captured the ideal Baroque, with their leafy, flowery swirls, cobalts, and fluted edged plates. In these pages we can see some of the DiFra artisans at work decorating vases.

Terracotta Magic

After throwing the vase on the potter's wheel, the vase is fired in the kiln. After coming out of the kiln it is dipped in a bath of white glaze, fired again, decorated, glazed, and fired a final time, yielding the finished ceramic.

Throwing and decorating the vase

 

 

 

The DiFra kiln

This large and modern kiln at the DiFra factory is electric today, having taken over from the gas or wood fired kilns of the past. Majolica can be cooked at approximately 900 degrees Celsius.

Painting the glazed vase

In this delicate stage of painting and using color on the glaze, the inexperienced ceramist may not notice mistakes that will become evident after the piece comes out of the kiln. Mistakes cannot be easily corrected at this stage and the piece may have to be discarded in the case of a serious enough error.

Caltagirone at a glance

Leaving Caltagirone and turning back to take one final look at it is shocking when realizing what a small village it actually is, yet great in its artistic accomplishments through the ages. While traveling through Sicily and experiencing its various aspects, one becomes aware of the intense and almost exaggerated qualities of life there, from the heavily ornate buildings, to the extreme generosity of its inhabitants, to the overly abundant seafood meals that the many coastal restaurants offer throughout the island. In a way, Caltagirone is a miniature example of all these different characteristics in the way that such a tiny village has such a grand display of art in the form of contemporary majolica works.

Sicily - heart of the old world

Inspiring views of coastal Sicily remind us that this is a magic land in the middle of the Mediterranean, the original place where western culture with all its various influences was played out. Everyone from the beginning of time in the Mediterranean has set foot in Sicily, starting with the Greeks and continuing with the Saracens, the Arabs, the Normans, the Carthaginians, the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Aragonese, Spanish Bourbons, and more. For all of us today, visiting Sicily is an exciting and unforgetful experience that can take us from the Greek temples at Agrigento and Erice, to the ceramics of its important majolica centers and the mosaics of Monreale, to the rich foods and wines that grow and are prepared everywhere on the island.