Would love to load up crates and crates of lovely pottery!!! (In my dreams)....as I said a few days ago we will be in Southern Siena close to Chiusi and would love to journey to at least collect a few wonderful pieces--
Any recommendations on places to look in that region? Tips on getting pottery back to the States? Do we save much buying in Italy vs in the shops back here in the States?
Grazie- Steven
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Posts: 10 | Location: San Francisco,CA | Registered: 09 October 2002
We always travel with loads of bubble wrap and sturdy bags for transporting a few pieces ourselves. Most of the larger shops will also ship for you as well. For us as Canadians we pay handsomely here, so it's much cheaper for us to buy in Italy, as an example a dinner plate of a Deruta pattern that I collect costs 100.00 here and in Italy it was $25.00 With prices like that one can afford to ship but I prefer to haul it back myself.
Happy hunting for your future favorite pieces that will always remind you of Italy!
I'll admit to not checking that it might not have been mentioned already, but one of the best websites, covering all of Italy is Ceramiche d'Italia; which for Tuscany wants you to know and understand Impruneta, Montelupo Fiorentino, and Sesto Fiorentino.
We have had excellent luck shipping our purchases home through a merchant in Deruta and one in Impruneta. Some of the pieces were really large, like huge terracotta garden jars with inset pots for easier planting. These were packed first in wet straw, then huge amounts of bubble wrap with tape, then set in wooden supports, an unbelievable amount of care taken. The big things went by sea, the ceramic dinnerware by DHL air; it wasn't cheap, but all considered we saved money versus buying them here, and had the fun of selecting exactly what we wanted. The duty, I think, is around 8%, but it varies by category. DHL sent us a bill for the duty due; for the big stuff, we used a freight forwarder at the port which the shipping company does business with. It's an experience, but we didn't think it was a huge hassle. These days, it's a lot harder to bring it home with you unless the item is pretty small. It helps to do business with a merchant who often exports. They know the ropes.
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
If you go to Deruta, try La Gioconda which produces its own products and has a showroom at its workshop. The daughter (Claudia) of the owner speaks English and is very helpful with selection and shipment information. La Gioconda produces for a couple of U.S. outlets and the price at the workshop is substantially cheaper. Shipping is a major expense that has to be factored in when comparing prices. Claudia can help with that should you choose to visit La Gioconda. Their location is off the main street in the lower part of Deruta. Address is: Via Girolamo Causi 8, 06053 Deruta (Perugia). Tel: 075/971008
Thank you Martin for the heads-up; I've added La Gioconda to the others on my Deruta page.
A note in passing; I expected Deruta to be horrific, full of tour buses and people snagging in the passer-by. Nothing of the sort, a pleasant little Umbrian town; after staying away for a few years, when I finally went, I liked the place: so much for prejudice.
Steve, you may often find that shops have set up stalls in markets, I've sometimes seen seconds there, and they price them accordingly. As an example the Straw Market in Florence has a pretty good selection available.
If there is a pattern that you are interested in and you can't quite collect all the pieces while traveling you can always order from here I have used this company a few times, the prices,quality and packing are great. The site is also a great resource as far as picking patterns that you might be interested in looking for in different regions of Italy.
The markups for Italian Ceramics are astronomical. WE have seen the Identical item here for 800 to 1000% above what we bought it for in Italy.Usually our only regret is not having bought more Rr
[This message was edited by Robert Rainey on January 14, 2003 at 08:31 PM.]
Posts: 6465 | Location: Culver City, CA, USA | Registered: 08 November 2002
I'll confirm that. Rather than try to skimp even more by getting less good stuff, on the contrary, buy the best you can, at in-Italy prices: a few pieces that will give you real joy.
I agree with Bill. There is so much available in Deruta shops that one quickly gets overloaded, and it is difficult to recall or differentiate pieces unless you can see a "second" right next to a "first" quality piece, but they tend to be blurry or possibly have defects you can't see like durability. I'd go for the top quality stuff.
Posts: 2054 | Location: Suburban Philadelphia | Registered: 08 July 2002
Hi Liz- I have ordered from this company and have also been very pleased with their quality,prices and shipping. It made me a little less "homesick" for Italy when I had the pleasure of opening my order of variuos small pieces. colleenk
Posts: 2660 | Location: Cambridge, MA | Registered: 18 August 2001
The VARM ceramica factory that produces dinnerware sold in Saks 5th, Crate & Barrel and Macys now has an outlet in Monterosi-halfway between Viterbo and Rome. It just opened in September and the prices are really "factory-direct" plus another 10% off with the client discount card that I can send you. The post-Christmas sales are now on with further 40% off some since they must put the spring production out on the shelves. website is www.ceramicavarm.it Mary Jane
Mary Jane Elegant Etruria: Cultural Holidays - Travel Consultancy
thank you for the reminder Mary Jane. This may be a good place for me to buy my dishes once we are in Italy. I went to the website, but it's all in Italian, so I'll go back when I get a better grasp of the language!
Posts: 4813 | Location: Umbria | Registered: 29 June 2001
-- and maybe new to some: there are a number of "translation" sites out there where you can get a fast rough-and-ready translation into/from English/the commoner languages. My favorite, which I use for German mostly, is Altavista's BabelFish; but Google has one and there are others.
You can either import a squibbet of text, by typing it directly or (better) copying it into the input box; or you can copy into the other box the URI of the page.
Also, any result found in Google, notice that if it is not in the language you have your browser set to, it offers you an option to translate it. (If, as with Helen's suggestion, you didn't get to the page via Google, grab a bit of a sentence from it, go to Google and search for it: obviously you'll almost always have your page among the search results, and probably the first one.)
The results of all of them are curious and, if the text is highly technical or idiosyncratic, fragmentary; but it's often enough to wing it by.
quote:Originally posted by Barb: thank you for the reminder Mary Jane. This may be a good place for me to buy my dishes once we are in Italy. I went to the website, but it's all in Italian, so I'll go back when I get a better grasp of the language!
Try Free Tranaslation.com just cut and paste.
Posts: 1 | Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: 19 January 2003
My favorite Italian ceramics to date (not yet having been to Italy mind you!) are those I have seen at Biordi's in San Francisco's North Beach especially by Eugenio Ricciarelli which are intensely colored, geometric patterns. Unfortunately at almost $100 per plate these are WAY out of my price range. Will I find similar patterns in Deruta (or Umbria/Tuscany genrerally)? Is anyone familar with this artisan (and I assume he has other artisans working for/with him) and where his things might be available in Umbria/Tuscany? Thank you!
Tracy, yes. The style shown on the link you gave us is quite traditional, therefore commonly available from any number of makers; and nowhere near that outrageous price. If you intend to get a service for six (large plate, small plate, plus two or three platters), the savings will pay for your trip.
Prices for large platters at the VARM factory outlet run $14-30-50. Dinner plates (wonderful square shapes too designed by Prof. Franco Giorgi) are about $6-8 . A beautiful dinner service for 6, costs $174 that's 24 pieces. This showroom is mentioned in the new Italian edition of Scoprioccasioni , but its so new that it didnt get into the English edition (Designer Bargains in Italy). Mary Jane
Mary Jane Elegant Etruria: Cultural Holidays - Travel Consultancy
Tracy, Try Ceramiche Fanny owned by Luca and Michela Pimpinelli. Address: Piazza dei consoli, 11 & 28. (The main Piazza in the upper town centro. They have two shops across the piazza from each other. They specialize in dinnerware sets. You can special order. You can choose one of the many traditional pattern in their traditional color combinations. Or you can request your own color combinations. I've found them to be easy to work with and dependable. I also thing their work is of the highest quality. They have many high end retailers around the world as customers. Luca has a workroom in the back of one of the shops where he will show you samples of all the various patterns and take your order. You can email them at fanny.deruta@libero.it
On the lower road down by the superstrada, my favorite is Maioliche Nulli. Run by two brothers, Rolando and Geffredo. Via Tiberina, 142. On the side of the street with its back to the superstrada. They also do that high quality, intensly detailed work. And Rolando loves to take his visitors down to the basement and show them how he throws a pot. A real showman. He is also very proud of his 12 year old son who is learning the art, who you will find at his own workbench every day after school. Deborah Horn ----------------------------------- Marketing Solutions for Health Care
Posts: 4846 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
I live in Cetona, so very close to Chiusi. Having visited most shops in the area, I have finally found my favourite ceramic producer.
The shop is called CERAMICHE KAMARS and is extremely easy to find. When you come off the highway in Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, make a left (Chianciano-Montepulciano direction). Kamars is on your left 200 meters up the road just across the road from the large (for our standards) shopping centre and supermarket Centro Etrusco.
The lady who runs the business is extremely helpful, and although she speaks no English, her son Flavio is often there to help out and can communicate. They organize shipping for you at reasonable cost, and will make anything custom-ordered. They produce wonderful dinner plates which can be decorated with your initials or anything else you like. Very classic tasteful designs and a vast selection. They do have a few "touristy" products, but mainly geared to the Italian market. Prices are exceptionally good. Give it a try, I highly recommend it, and feel free to say that Sacha Destefanis from Cetona sent you.
Another good shop, with very different objects though rather more expensive is PIPPO in Cetona on the main square.
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