Michela Cavallini - Deruta's Majolica Art - ITALY

Who we are

The Majolica of Michela Cavallini & Daughters is guarantee of an artisan product entirely realized by hand respecting and maintaining the quality, the style, and the original deorations of the ancient traditions that have made Deruta famous throughout the world since the XV century.
The production consists of a vaste range of articles regardin the ornamentals and household sectors, lamps, gift articles, articles for the bride.
The presence of a qualified personnel enables this firm to carry out any work on request of a suggestion of the client.
The Majolica of Michela Cavallini & Daughters is renowed not only it Italy but olso over seas, it is particularly appreciated in Europe, United States of America, and Japan.

Marchio “Ceramica Artistica e Tradizionale”

Istituito con Decreto del Ministro dell’Industria, del Commercio e dell’Artigianato del 26 giugno 1997
(G.U. n° 153 del 3/7/1997)
Impresa Artigiana Produttrice di Ceramiche
Tutelate con il Marchio C.A.T. ai sensi Art. 2-3 L.188/1990
Autorizzazione N° 21 del 28 Novembre 2005

L'Azienda Maioliche Michela Cavallini aderisce al progetto
"DERUTA 1282 Consorzio Autentiche Ceramiche"

The History

In very old age already hosted human settlements. Then it was Etruscan and Roman times. Its medieval history is almost always linked to the city of Perugia. Being on the border, suffered defeat when Perugia, Deruta was always to suffer hardship and destruction. Around 1400, the town is doto of defensive structures with a castle fortified with rock and heavy walls. It is organized with a mayor, a vicar and a council of 15 members. Then again suffered serious guerreggiamenti caused by Perugino and families in 1527 by the passage of Lansquenets then by the Papal troops. Then came the state of the church to spend a period of economic and social tranquility. E 'in a knoll on the edge of the Tiber

Derutesi - Alt. 218 m. sl - S. Caterina d'Ales, Nov. 25

The Art

Since then Deruta's ceramics have become famous for their decorative patterns and shapes. These vases, plates and other objects are exhibited in some of the world's greatest museums as examples of remarkable pictorial quality. Among the best known ceramic masters from Deruta are: Giacomo Mancini, known as "El Frate" (1545); Andrea di Cecco (1584), Lazzaro di Battista Faentino, Francesco Urbini, Gregorio Caselli (1770) and a certain "Paolo da Deruta" who in 1516 worked under the great ceramist Mastro Giorgio Andreoli from Gubbio. A unique documentation of Deruta's ceramics is kept in the Church of Madonna dei Bagni, which is 2 kilometres south of Deruta along the E-45 Road. The walls of the church are covered with votive ceramic tiles offered by believers from the 17th century until the present. In an extraordinary array of polychrome panels the visitor can follow the uninterrupted flow of Deruta's ceramic tradition, and what's more, have a view of Umbrian and Italian life during the last three centuries. Today the production of artistic ceramics still constitutes the main activity of the town. With over 200 majolica workshops and stores as well as a State School for Ceramic Arts, Deruta faithfully continues its historic artistic traditions.

The city of Deruta

The city is situated 15 kilometres south of Perugia on a hill that overlooks the valley of the Tiber; the new part extends along the Via Tiberina, parallel to the E-45 Road which goes towards Rome.
Of the ancient castle remain some tracts of wall, the arches of the three doors to the city and the characteristic medieval streets which lead into the Piazza dei Consoli. At the Piazza is the Palazzo dei Consoli, today the town hall, whose 14th century tower is adorned by Romanesque mullioned windows.
The town hall houses the ceramics museum, where beautiful local antique majolica are exhibited, and the picture gallery with priceless paintings of various periods: a painting by Niccolò Alunno from 1458; a banner of S. Antonio Abate by the same artist; a Madonna with Child and Saints by the School of Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino; paintings by Amorosi; by Gaulli, known as Baciccio; by Reni; by Graziani, known as Ciccio Napoletano; an illuminated missal of the 14th century; altar-cloths of the 15th century.
Furthermore, there is a fresco of the Saints Rocco and Rornano with a view of the town (1476) recently attributed to Perugino.
Opposite the town hall rises the Romanesque-Gothic Church of S. Francesco with the adjacent convent where Pope Urban IV died on October 2, 1264. The 14th century bell-tower has ogival mullioned windows. The interior, made up of one nave with polygonal apse, contains numerous 14th century frescoes by the Senese school.
Especially notable on the left side of the altar is the martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria (1339), protesters of Deruta's ceramists who is celebrated every year on the 25th of November, and another fresco with the Madonna, Child and Saints by Domenico Alfani. In the nearby Piazza Benincasa stands the Church of S. Antonio Abate, in which one may admire a Madonna of Mercy with St. Francis and St. Bernard by Bartolomeo Caporali, and a fresco by Bartolomeo and G.B. Caporali featuring four scenes from the life of St. Anthony which draw their inspiration from Signorelli's frescoes of the Chapel of S. Brizio in the Cathedral of Orvieto. On the high altar is a 15th century statue of St. Antony in polychrome ceramics.
The city is world-famous for its ceramic art, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The oldest and most important commissioned works date back to the 13th century. But the greatest development was reached by the masters of Deruta beginning from the early 16th century. Thanks to the ever-growing fame of Deruta's ceramists, their workshops were entrusted with the execution of the floorings of the Chapel of the Palazzo dei Priori and of the Sacristy of the Basilica of S. Pietro in Perugia, and of the Baglioni Chapel in Spello. In the civic museum of Deruta one may admire priceless remnants of the flooring of the Church of S. Francesco (1523-24).

Deruta Economy

In China there is a little town Called 'Deruta', with many workshops that are making 'Ceramica', marked as "Ceramica di Deruta", with CE mark. CE means 'China Exportation', not European Community ( the mark of European Union has curve lettersyes, as true Umbrie DERUTA. The town of DERUTA is only 15 km to Perugia, as you can see in the earlier post where ther is the Umbria map, has 8.000 habitants and makes the 1/3 of all Italian's Ceramics. Many families eat with handiwork and if China makes incorrect economic competions, becaouse theirs worker doesn't pays as italians, aren't assicurated, farms doesn't pay tax, Ceramics are less expansive than Italians. All Handimakers and Ceramic's farms created, between Region of Umbrie, Italian Goverment and European Union made a mark: ORIGINAL DERUTA CERAMICS
CERAMIC, "The earth on which human workmanship and the consolidating action of fire intervene, to transform it into objects with a practical and ornamental purpose derives the identification of the three elements necessary for the process whereby clay is transformed: earth, human workmanship and fire." is a too important thing for Umbrie economy and We cannot permite to noone to take that mark to sell others products builds out of umbrie, out of experience, without the send of Tevere, the river near Deruta that goes just from Rome.

______________________________________________________