Porcelains of Naples, Italy

Ceramics towns in Italy according to the accredited Italian
"Ceramics Towns Association" (AICC).
Six ceramics towns in the region of Campania, 36
ceramics towns in total all over Italy.

Idea for a long weekend in Italy from Dec.8th (public holiday) to Dec.11th:
paying a visit to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. How romantic! 

Ceramics is the general name for several products, from majolica to porcelains,  from water closets to floor tiles and raw bisqueware. The specific name of  each ceramics depends on the clay, the process and the finishing of the products, varying if it is art ceramics or industrial ceramics.  

The town of Naples is also listed, being the city famous for its ceramics nativity scenes and for its porcelains traditions. 

The ceramics nativity scenes are displayed every year in Naples in the neighborhood of  San Lorenzo the second week of December, starting on December 8th (Feast of the "Immacolata"), on San Gregorio Armeno Street and new figurines are added every Christmas, some of which are really trendy, about the latest news,  portraying politicians, v.i.p.s, famous showgirls, singers and top models. Many of these figurines are
humorous.

On the right Mr. Mario Monti,  the new Italian Prime Minister and in the
back Mr. Silvio Berusconi with the sign "resigning immediately"
(Nativity figurines from Naples, Italy, 2011)

Homage to Mr.Steve Jobs
(Nativity figurine from Naples, Italy, 2011)

                                 

Madame Carla Bruni and Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy
with Giulia
(Nativity figurines from Naples, Italy, 2011)

                                   

The tradition of ceramics nativity scenes goes back in Naples to the 1700s, the same century when King Carlo di Borbone and his wife Maria Amalia di Sassonia established the first porcelain factory in the neighborhood of Capodimonte in Naples and named it: "Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte" (Royal Factory of Capodimonte) inside the famous Capodimonte Royal Palace, nowadays ceramics museum and picture museum with private ceramics collections that go back to the late 1400s and to the Italian Renaissance.  

So many ceramics towns in Italy! 

In Campania, the region of Naples you may visit Vietri sul Mare for majolicas (indeed the city was founded by the Etruscans), then Ariano Irpino for ceramics nativity scenes, Cerreto Sannita and San Lorenzello for their majolicas tradition going back to the 1600s, Cava dei Tirreni for their ceramics industrial tiles. Vietri sul Mare is the only ceramics town that I visited personally, I do not have any experience about the other cities. 

The Amalfi Coast, Unesco World Heritage Site
for its landscape

On the Amalfi Coast the most visited town is Ravello, where it is possible to purchase colorful geometric Deruta ceramics upon selection of local retail stores. Ravello is not listed by the AICC among the ceramics towns of Italy, because their ceramics are imported from other cities in Italy, such as Deruta which is their best seller.