Deruta ceramics are a type of enamelled ceramics produced in the Italian town of Deruta.
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Overview
Deruta ceramics are a typical product of Deruta, a medieval hilltown in Umbria, Italy. Production began in the early Middle Ages, and found its artistic peak in the 15th and early 16th century, with highly characteristic local styles, such as the Deruta trademark "Raffaellesco" dragon design said to be inspired by the murals of Raphael. An example of this style dragon in the face and head in Raphael's work can be seen in the painting "St Michael Trampling the Dragon".
In 1553, Leandro Alberti wrote “... the terracotta vases made in Deruta are often mentioned for how well they are made and beautifully decorated. And it is believed that there are no other craftsmen in Italy that can match the work even though there have been attempts to do so...”
Town of Deruta
Deruta has over 200 ceramic workshops, most of which retail their own goods along with other retail shops which display and sell pottery products. The town also serves as a centre for local farming and various agricultural industries.
There are a number of ruins of very old ceramic kilns throughout Deruta. In addition to housing the usual governmental offices, the municipal hall houses a museum of ceramics. Along the Tiberina road, at the foot of the old town, yet another church – the Madonna delle Piagge – is clad in ceramic tiles.