The great siren by the artist Luigi Manzo welcomes Vietri, the city which has made ceramics its distinctive element.

Colourful, lively, versatile, multifaceted, artistic, original, it is present everywhere: around the small shops populating the historic centre, along the streets of the town and in the ones of the hamlets, in the viewpoints, on the walls of the buildings, on the church domes, but also in the internal decorations and on the façades. Panels, sculptures, tiles and objects destined for the most varied uses, in the difference of manufacturing, styles and of the ceramists hands, all unique pieces, result of a talents and abilities summarising a centuries-old story, which dates back to the heritage of the Etruscans, founders of the ancient Marcina five centuries BC. And the most recent tradition, medieval, is connected to the lands of common Etruscan origin: the processing of terracotta in Vietri. It was in the Thirteenth century that, in fact, masters from Vietri started travelling to show their works in the fairs that took place mainly in Central Italy. This is how some characteristic motifs of Campania ceramics such as the peacock or stylised palm leaves, are found in the ceramics of Etruscan Orvieto. As they are present in the Sixteenth century Vietri works.

According to historians, a decisive impulse was given to the production of ceramics in Vietri thanks to the dependency on Cava de’ Tirreni of which it was a hamlet for a long time, since king Ruggero donated the port of Vietri to the abbey of Ss. Trinità of Cava. A growing demand of terracotta for building activity of Cava had to be satisfied, as well as for the commercial exchanges which the abbey managed by sea with the Sale plain. Vietri lent itself to being the centre of the manufacturing for the ancient tradition of course, but also for the quantity of clay it had and for the water of the torrent Bonea, which operated the mills to work the clay and to prepare the colours. And then, in the middle of the Renaissance period, the expansion of the ceramic craft was strongly wanted by the Sanseverino nobles. Therefore, the production of Vietri continued growing hand in hand with the specialisation of its artisans. Particularly, Vietri people excelled in the production of riggiole, which had a considerable evolution in the seventeenth century, when the compendiary style tiles were imposed: white with turquoise, yellow and orange decorations, while green was rather rare.

Different from Neapolitan ceramics for the softer colours and the less slender shape of the objects, Vietri ceramics arrived in the capital thanks to the artisans of the coastal town who opened new workshops, also known as faenziere, in Naples, but also in other centres nearby, like Minori. In the eighteenth century, the production of apothecary vases was added. These stood out for the brown manganese colour and for the landscape decoration with a prevalence of turquoise. All distinctive details of Vietri ceramics, which landed also in Sicily, expanding its export area. A process which continued in the nineteenth century, thanks to the increase in demand for riggiole, which needed a production on more industrial scale, however without betraying the artisan quality of the products.

Since the 1930s, several German Jewish artists arrived in Vietri, forced to leave Germany due to Nazi persecution. To earn room and board they donated their own works to those who hosted them and were also interested in the ceramic manufacturing. This artistic exchange proved to be very fruitful and gave to the ceramics of Vietri more modern and international themes and decorative motifs. That’s when the “cucciariello” (little donkey) appeared, which is still a symbol of the modern Vietri ceramics. And the Germans who remained after the war, with their chemical knowledge, made a precious contribution to the colour research. Particularly, it was then that the famous “yellow Vietri” was developed. All elements also present also in today’s production, which confirms Vietri as a centre of excellence of the ceramic craftsmanship.

A complete picture of Vietri’s manufacturing and their evolution over the centuries is offered by the Ceramic Provincial Museum of Villa Guariglia in Raito. While valuable examples of contemporary ceramics are exhibited in the Solimene Ceramic Factory, at the entrance to the city centre.