CERAMIC MUSEUM

It is located in the gardens of the Villa Comunale, via Roma. Perched at the top of a monumental staircase, it is sheltered by the teatrino, a peculiar late 17th-century construction consisting of a set of terraces with balustrades decorated with faience. It tells the thousand-year history of Caltagirone and Sicilian ceramics in several chronological sections, from prehistory to the dawn of the 20th century. The first section is that of the ancient world, where we find ceramics from the prehistoric period to the Paleochristian period, the medieval period represented by objects from the 10th to the 15th century, apothecary vases, amphoras, pitchers, dishes, plates, tureens, bowls. As for the third section, it gathers the productions from the 16th century until today, mainly pieces made during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but also an abundant collection from the 19th century. The visit ends with a presentation of terracotta figurines, representing scenes of popular Sicilian daily life. Noble families, modest peasants, everyday gestures or exceptional events, this is a document on the history of the Calatine and Sicilian people. Inspired by the characters of popular fables, Giacomo Bongiovanni and his nephew Giuseppe Vaccaro complete the fertile history of Caltagirone ceramics with these figurines, enriched with bright colours and executed in the most ancient Sicilian traditions of the cribs of Matera.