In the years we have been traveling to Italy to find the prettiest and most functional ceramic tableware and accessories for our customers, we have developed sources in several regions of Italy not as well-known abroad as Deruta or Tuscany. In fact, we’ve found some very fine, artistic ceramic items in surprising places like Sicily and southern Italy.

Join us on a vicarious buying trip through Italy, starting in Sicily, the island where the ancients developed the maiolica technique brought to them by their Spanish and Moorish conquerors.

From Sicily, we hop the ferry at Messina, cross to the tip of Italy’s boot and travel on to towns in Puglia, Basilicata and Campania, where we linger in the town of Vietri sul Mar on the Amalfi Coast. Each of these has its own unique colorways and characteristic forms.

Of course, we spend a good deal of time in Umbria in the towns of Deruta, Gubbio and Citta di Castel. Many of the most famous artisans live and work here.

But we continue on our journey to Tuscany, where we encounter glass workshops that produce lead crystal in exquisite designs for decoration or table use. And all along the way, we are delighted with the cuisine of each region—eating our way through Italy, as they say.

And so, please enjoy touring through the pages that follow, and bring sunny, colorful, delicious Italy into your home.