The Daily Insight

Connected.Informed.Engaged.

Caltagirone has a rich culinary tradition famous for its typical sweets, linked to the traditional festivals, such as cuddureddi (honey , almonds or mulled wine biscuits) ore the ancient bread and egg pans and the cubaita of chickpeas, some true, Baroque architectures.

What are Sicilian Moor heads?

“Moor heads” or “teste di moro” are colorful, ceramic vases that represent the face of a man and a woman, with a solemn crown. A quite common feature of terraces and gardens in big and small towns in Sicily, they are made by skilled local craftspeople and have spread across Italy over time.

Is Caltagirone worth visiting?

Guide to Caltagirone, Sicily | The Thinking Traveller.

What part of Italy is known for ceramics?

Umbria
Deruta and Gubbio in Umbria were the first Italian towns that learned how to make lusterware in the 1500s. Eventually both of these towns returned to making ceramics from soft clay and then hand-painting these maiolica ceramics. To this day Deruta is still the best known Italian hand-painted ceramics city in Italy.

What is a Moro head?

The “Testa di Moro” or Moor’s Head is a characteristic object of the Sicilian tradition. It is a hand-painted ceramic vase used as an ornament that depicts the face of a Dark man usually accompanied by a young woman.

Which is the nicest part of Sicily?

Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina, and Catania are the nicest parts of Sicily.

What is Italian pottery called?

maoilica
The Italian pottery that we see all over Italy is called maoilica, a tin-glazed earthenware that makes the pottery gleam with colours that never fade. This type of pottery making originated in Mespotamia during the 9th century and the process travelled along the major trade routes.

How to visit Caltagirone’s ceramic studios?

More than a hundred ceramic studios make their home in Caltagirone, and a ceramics shopping excursion can prove overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the experience: The best way to work the town is to park along the Via Roma as you enter the town coming from Catania. Make the ceramics museum your first stop.

Why is Caltagirone called the city of Sicilian ceramics?

It’s known in Italy as “The city of Sicilian ceramics ” due to its thousand-year-old tradition. The name itself – Caltagirone – derives from an Arabic word meaning the Castle or Fortress of the vases. Caltagirone ceramics have been used for centuries to decorate houses, public and private parks, churches,…

Where can I find Sicilian pottery in Italy?

Sicilian Ceramics from Caltagirone, Italy. Decorative Pottery | thatsArte.com Finely handcrafted, genuinely Italian Caltagirone is one of the most lively Baroque towns in central Sicily. It’s known in Italy as “The city of Sicilian ceramics ” due to its thousand-year-old tradition.

What can you find in Caltagirone?

In the shops, you’ll find large-scale vases that resemble the heads of kings, queens, and nobles. Historical reproductions of Caltagirone ceramics of the 1700s and 1800s include pharmacy jars, plates with religious and mythological scenes, and decorative tiles.