Caltagirone is a town and in the province of , on the island (and region) of , about 70 km southwest of Catania.

The city has been long famous for the production of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. Nowadays the production is more and more oriented to artistic production of ceramics and terra-cotta sculptures. Other activities are mainly related to agriculture (production of grapes, , peaches).

The city's name derives from the "qal'at-al-ghiran" ("Hill of Vases"). It was inhabited since pre-historical times, as attested by the presence of two necropoleis dating from the second millennium BCE and by numerous other archaeological findings. It was later inhabited by the pre-Roman population.

The Arabs built here a castle, which in 1030 was attacked by Ligurian troops under the Byzantine general , and which have left traces of Ligurian language in the current dialect. The city flourished under the Norman and domination, becoming a renowned center for production of ceramics.

The city was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. Many public and private buildings have then been reconstructed in earthquake Baroque style. Primarily for this reason, the city has been inserted, together with the surrounding territory in an area protected by the UNESCO World Heritage program.

A MILLENARY TRADITION

deeply bound to the history of , that - ever since the prehistoric man has learned how to master water, air, soil and fire- has always inspired generations of craftsmen and artists of the town, who have creatively interpreted the ceramics’ aptitude of conceiving new forms and colours, pliable instruments, able to turn creative fantasy into shape.

During the archaeological excavation in the Neolithic villages of Scala, Pille and S. Ippolito, close to Caltagirone, evidences of a local ceramics production were discovered. The influence due to commercial contacts between the Siculi -who lived in the ancient territory of Caltagirone- and the Greek manifests itself, not only in social organisation, but also in the handicraft activity of terracotta's production. We find evidence of it in the use of the turning-lathe introduced in Caltagirone around 1000 b. C. by the Cretans. This new instrument allowed the town ceramists to revolutionise the ancient handicraft activity that for millenniums had maintained unchanged its own production techniques. The most significant example of local ceramics production, testifying the close relations with the

GREEK CULTURE is the crater with red drawings dating back to the fifth century b. C., kept in the Museum of Ceramics. The crater represents a potter who, with the assistance of Goddess Athena, turns a phitos on a lathe. Such a crater proves the importance of the ceramics craftsman for the local economy: for thousand years he has played a central role, marking the history of Caltagirone. After a long period of decay -during the Roman and Byzantine dominion-

THE ARABS

conquered Sicily in 827 and settled down in Caltagirone introducing new techniques in the production of ceramics. New shapes and decoration, found out in the Far East, gave new impulse to the ceramics handicraft.

For instance, they introduced the technique of the crockery and majolica glazing, which from Caltagirone spread all over Sicily and in the rest of . In fact the oldest Italian proto-majolicas are the one produced in Sicily, and in Caltagirone in particular. Wonderful exemplars of them are kept in the Museum of Caltagirone and in the Archaeological Museum of . The originality of the art of ceramics in Caltagirone -which had always excelled among the island factories- was particularly appreciated by the Norman kings, who fostered their development. Since the fourteenth century the craftsmen of Caltagirone had been very famous in the whole Mediterranean area. This fame played a central role in the development of local shops, widening the marketing of their goods. This was also due to the privilege granted by Alfonso d'Aragona, who in 1432, allowed the commerce of Caltagirone ceramics in the towns of the Reign, with duty exemption. The craftsmen of Caltagirone -who already had the benefit of getting their raw material from the large clay quarries and the wood for their ceramics-kiln from the near Wood Santo Pietro- became the most famous and qualified ceramists in Sicily. Their decorations seemed to allude to the sumptuous art of Sicilian cloth and embroidery, their colours -at first manganese, then copper flake green, orange yellow and cobalt blue- to the bright Sicilian landscape. Just in that period,

FLOOR DECORATION became art expression confirming Caltagirone as the most important town for ceramics production in Sicily. The flooring was one of the most successful fields in which the craftsmen could express their creative ability. It benefited by a fruitful alliance between architects designs –who also commissioned the artistic ceramics in order to decorate halls of aristocratic residences; naves and aisles of churches and craftsmen, who devoted to flooring the same rich polychrome applied in vases.

THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY is the period of greatest development and diffusion of the ceramics of Caltagirone. The dreadful earthquake of 1693, which caused dead and misery all over the Valley of , destroyed churches and demolished buildings, and also majolica, crockery and provisions. The terrible event did not subdue the town, that, on the contrary, found the strength to rebuild its architectural patrimony and furnishings. The most famous architects in the Reign redesign the town, conferring it a new baroque look -that today can still be appreciated and admired- and for which the unusual combination between

CERAMICS AND ARCHITECTURE

was inaugurated. What characterises the ceramics of Caltagirone is the decoration applied to household objects. Candlesticks, vases, oil-lamps, ink pots and cake shapes are only some of the examples of the creative skill of the Caltagirone craftsmen, that have made their town famous and made it deserve the name of Town of ceramics.

SCHOOL OF CERAMICS (Istituto d’arte) founded by Don , who got together the most genuine interpreters of ceramics artisan tradition, it still trains skilful craftsmen, who, in their shops, create strikingly beautiful objects, revealing the secrets of an ancient art, expression of a millenary culture.

TERRACOTTA WHISTLES (fischietti)

Clay toys, moulded in an extraordinary array of subjects, with different meanings, magical and allegorical. In the period of maximum diffusion, whistles were regarded as second-rate toys, humble objects, either made out of raw argil or flashy painted, lacking any artistic pretension, to be presented to children at the approach of spring. Today they are valuable items to be collected, and often amazing examples of high artistic value and originality.

THE HOLY CRIBS (presepi) of Caltagirone do not suggest a sumptuous setting, as the ones of do, they represent and describe, very simple and accurately described scenes of everyday life. The nineteenth century was the golden age for figurine makers, among whom there stand out Giacomo Bongiovanni , Giuseppe Vaccaro and father Benedetto Papale. Either made of polychrome majolica or of mere terracotta, the Holy Cribs of Caltagirone testify both the deep religiousness of its people and the great handicraft expertise of this town.

TRADITIONS

Christmas would not be Christmas in Caltagirone without the scenes of the birth of the Christchild recreated with the statues of the shepherds made in its traditional polychrome earthenware inspired by the Sicilian peasant world, or without the cuddureddi, tradition al Christmas sweets made of honey, almonds, flour and spiced with cinnamon.

Neither could there be an Easter without the Easter Sunday Giunta, i.e. the triumphant and joyful meeting between the Resurrected Christ, S. Peter and the Virgin Mary.

What most vividly tells the history of the city and its potters from Arab times till today are the polychrome tiles decorating the risers of the 142 steps of Maria Santissima del Monte. They form a metaphor of the climb, step after step, from the depths of historical memory to the self-awareness of today. In May it is decked with flowers. In July it is illuminated for the feast of the Patron, Saint James, with thousands of oil lamps put inside cups of coloured paper, all set out following a precise design. In the dark of the night they seem to be suspended like a vision, at times assuming the shape of a coat of arms, sometimes a tower, a sacred figure or an imaginary outline in the wavering magic of light, colour and form.