Filiera Corta = Short chain for ceramics

The sign of a historical ceramics shop in Assisi, dated 1925. The original shop closed a few years ago. 

In the past 90 years foreign customers have been visiting Deruta to purchase their ceramics directly from the producers according to the endorsements of retail stores, located especially in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

As of the 1920s Deruta was mainly the furnace of important shops in Perugia and Assisi serving tourists visiting our region.We do not know what the number of visitors coming to Deruta was and preferring the short chain at that time. The ceramics tradition had been restored only at the end of the 19th century - after a long recession due to the Industrial Revolution - and the 1920s were very important years for Deruta. 

Nowadays of the original store in Assisi there is only the sign left. A few years ago the store was rented out to a fast food company. The store was located on the way to the Basilica and it had a special flavor. The windows were made of wrought iron in the liberty style. It was part of the history of Deruta. The ceramics store sign was made at the famous Ubaldo Grazia ceramics factory in Deruta by excellent painters. 

In recent years globalization has affected the quality of the the production of ceramics very badly. The shortest cuts took producers to other countries of production such as Rumania, Burgaria and China and to a lot of "do-it-yourself" producers. By visiting Assisi I notice Deruta style ceramics painted in Rumenia or China, decals, transferwares and lots of productions made by hobbyists, sometimes by the store owners themselves. This latter - they declare  - helps them survive.