F. G. M. BATTISTELLA, Castelli. Catalogue of Majolica’s Painters: Stefano Mattucci and Silvio de Martinis

Two signed pieces let us to know Stefano Mattucci as well as painter of majolica, as plastic master, one of the few in 18th century in Castelli. It has been possible to put near to these works other pieces in majolica some of them decorated with “ornato a paese”.
Silvio de Martinis was an innovating personage in the outline of Castelli ceramics in 18th century: with him we can see the passage from baroque istoriato to rococò majolica painted with naturalistic (flowers, fruits and insects) decorations. His catalogue, formed by a low number of pieces, is now notably increased thanks to the comparison with the two shields placed inside of S. Giovanni Battista church in Castelli. So, is now possible to restore to his name several majolica pieces, both “istoriate” and decorated with naturalistic patterns painted on white ground.

D. TROIANO, Bussi sul Tirino (AQ), 1. The moving of potters from Castelli and the beginning of ceramic production

This work shows the outcomes of an archives research carried out on unpublished documents preserved in Archivio Capitolare Valvense of Saint Pelino in Corfinio, near Sulmona (AQ), and in parish archive of Bussi sul Tirino (AQ). The study is about the introduction of pottery workshops in Bussi by potters coming from Castelli (TE); the kind of documents let moreover the Author to chronologically focus the immigration’s phenomenon. In this way are pointed out as just from the end of 17th century (c. the beginning of 90’s), starting with the Finissi-Cappelletti family, in Bussi were produced the most ancient majolica (tin-glazed wares). Shortly after a number of other families coming from Castelli as Setta, Tolomei, de Sanctis, Teodoro, de Vincentiis and Rossi, and finally Barone and Fuina families, moved to Bussi taking part to the development of ceramic production in this centre.
Unpublished documents presented in this work finally makes certain that wasn’t Francesco Antonio Grue to first introduce workshops in this centre, as traditionally the studies wants, and that his contribution as majolica painter didn’t have some influence on Bussi ceramic production that just from the beginning was distinctive with a strong popular connotation and common use decidedly ceramic products.

M. PANTALEO, Medieval Ceramic Finds from Ocre Castle (AQ) excavations - Area 10000

Ocre Castle have been object of a first excavation season in Autumn 2000 carried on by Medieval Archaeology Chair of L’Aquila University. A first essay interested the inside part of 14th century walled burg - at the summit point; a second excavation essay was made in an house outside the walled burg, chronologically preceding the same burg.
Clearly comes out that Ocre Castle is influenced both from North Italy and from South; in particular we can observe that during the 13th century the most important influences come from Southern Italy Protomaiolica wares, while in the following centuries - in full 13th and 14th centuries - the influence zone seems to move from South to North, specially to Archaic Maiolica production of Orvieto and Northern Lazio. To these conditions Abruzzi seems coming to represent the meeting point between the two different productions, unifying different inputs coming from peninsular extreme areas, testifying a production and an autonomous elaboration of starting points, colours and various provenance patterns.
It is important to note that ceramics from Ocre move away from influences of Roman productions, contrary to areas near L’Aquila; the reason of this moving seems due to the fact that Rome, starting from the second half of 13th century, was perfectly able to satisfy its market with a just consolidated ceramic production, consequently drastically reducing commercial connections with Southern area. In fact, since to the middle 15th century, for a long period, also failed exportation of Roman ceramics in Southern Lazio, like e.g. in Priverno, failing that forced local centres to obtain an productive and exportation autonomy.
Unfortunately stratigraphic situation doesn’t permit to trace a developing pattern of forms and decorations because, as just said in stratigraphic analysis, stratigraphic units from which comes the most part of tin glazed wares result belonging to a filling phase and levelling of the ground. So, the study of the pottery has been carried on only on the basis of type and forms comparison founded on what can be said the typical evolution of ceramic wares have been studied in this essay.

G. DONATONE, Neapolitan Azulejos from 14th to 18th century

The importation of Azulejos from Valencia in the age of Aragon kingdom produces the thrive of Neapolitan Riggiole (term coming from Catalan word Rajolas); however, contrary to naturalistic and fantastic but not iconic repertory of Hispano-moresque workshops, the composition of majolica tiled panels and tiled floors in Naples enrich with introduction of iconic taste that humanized, with trenchant portraits, Islamic tradition frequently averse, for religious reasons, to represents human figures. This work shows some expressive examples of cultural and artistic tangency in Neapolitan and Hispanic production.

V. VERROCCHIO, Anversa degli Abruzzi (AQ). Interim report and first attributions about 16th-17th century Relief Moulded Ware.

With the continuing of the studies on postmedieval ceramic production of the centre of Anversa degli Abruzzi (near Sulmona, AQ), among the large quantity of different productions just known in the period between 16th and 17th centuries (majolica, lead glazed wares, slip painted wares etc.), stands out a particular kind of pottery locally produced. It is ceramic with relief moulded decorations. The finding of fragments coming from dumping areas of local workshops active in this period, with relief moulded decoration perfectly similar to other just known on pieces collected in Museums, authorise first attributions to Anversa. It is the case, illustrated in this work, of a large “bacile da versatore” collected in Museo Regionale delle Ceramiche of Deruta, previously ascribed to Deruta majolica relief production of 16th century, that at present time, with finding of majolica waster fragments, must be ascribed to Anversa and dated probably in the second half of 16th century. Relief moulded production also interested slip coated monochrome ware in 16th century, but probably unsuccessfully compared to majolica and lead glazed productions.
Finally the essay shows fragments and examples of ceramic fonts found in Anversa that must be ascribed to local production dating from the second half of 16th to 17th century: it is just another unknown majolica and lead glazed production of this little ceramic centre of Abruzzi.

G. TORTOLANI, The “Bianchi” of Salerno and the Compendiario “ad usanza de Vieteri”

In the territories of Vietri there are many devotional and census shields which are being studied from a long time. The most ancient one dates back to 1627 and it is still at Raito. Some other ones dates 1673 (De Cesare shield), 1687 (Giordano shield), 1705 (De Simone shield). Cioffi shield of Marina of Vietri is a more recent object of study and dates to the second half of 17th century. Most of the latest archaeological news comes from Salerno, instead, even if aren’t supported by stratigraphic demonstrations. The recovery of a great deal of fragments in “compendiario” style inside S. Maria di Piantanova’s premises is of special interest: these fragments are supposed to be of local production. Other recoveries have been made in different areas of the historical centre and at the Castle: they are less important but not, for this reason, of less interest. Some more interesting fragments come from Ravello and Maiori: they, with the ones found in the Certosa of Padula, give a picture, even though still out of focus and incomplete, of Salerno’s production of the period between the last two decades of the 16th century and the first half of the 18th century. At the height of 1600 the “compendiario” style is still in full vogue with other ones of mainly figurative gender or of decorations with historical scenes. The two kinds of style, in fact, constantly interlace, keeping though their main features, so that it is difficult to set a temporal limit to our research. The presence from 1609 at Vietri and from the first two decades of 1600 and in particular from 1634 in Salerno, nearby Porta Nova in the proximity of the Monastery of S. Maria of Piantanova, of masters “faenzari” who had moved from Castelli in order to “work” and “paint” plates, has stimulated the investigation about the relationship between the two centres. For this purpose the targets and the fragments found during the excavations named above, are indispensable: they have been analysed in order to point out recurrent decorative details, both marginal ones and central, meaning and typical ones, so that they can be compared with unpublished or published manufactured articles but with different attribution from the ones from Salerno and Vietri. Some suppositions have come out from the mentioned comparisons: they update and widen the “corpus” of majolica already ascribed to Vietri or to Salerno; moreover they witness, already from the first decade of 17th century, the autonomy of the centre of Vietri from Castelli so much so that a local production, likely to be of “compendiario” style, used to be defined as “ad usanza de Vieteri”.

D. TROIANO, V. VERROCCHIO, The moving phenomenon of pottery masters from Castelli in the 18th century in Abruzzi: the case of Pettorano sul Gizio (AQ)

The study shows the results of recent researches concerning ceramic production centre of Pettorano sul Gizio placed in Sulmona’s area. In the 40’s of 18th century is documented the immigration of a family of potters (majolica workers) coming from Castelli, Barone family, that with the assistance of local financer, first introduced “l’Arte della vaseria” (Art of making pottery) in Pettorano.
This is an exemplary study case about the moving phenomenon of potters - majolica makers - from Castelli in the 18th century, both in Abruzzi and out of this region. In specific way, for Barone family, the case is even an exemplary case, because during the 18th century is documented the complete moving of all the branches of the family from Castelli to other centres as well as Bussi sul Tirino (AQ), Atri (TE) and Pettorano.
The research have been conducted on archives documents and with the aid of archaeological investigations: field recognitions, thanks to the discovery of fragments of pottery and kiln objects - that confirm majolica production - made able the Authors to find the area where the Barone workshop was located. Finally is noted as the workshop had a very short life, from 1743 to 1747, because of problems connected to financing ceramic production, and are described the various reasons that contributed to this failure.

Laterza’s Majolica in Curci Collection. Some unpublished samples (by Eds.)

Editors propose in this first number some unpublished pieces belonging to the Collection of Giuseppe Curci in Bari. They are some pieces of one of the most important Collections about ceramics of Puglia, in particular concerning majolica, that can be referred to Laterza’s workshops dating between the end of 17th century and the 18th century. In this way Eds. begin one of that foreseen points in the composition of the Journal that wants to document and publish for all scholars both interesting (unpublished) ceramics pieces and let know the character of the ceramic collector and connoisseur - and, where will be possible, Public Collections that at present aren’t just fully bring out. To the collection world is strictly connected antique trade, as well as known, rich of ceramic pieces that, due to their peculiarities, with its publishing can give - we think - a rich researching field to ceramic studies.

(Traduzione a cura di V. Verrocchio. Si ringrazia per la collaborazione la dott. Nicoletta di Federico).