HOME SWEET HOME

The word "sweet" translates in Italian with "dolce" as an adjective
and a noun, which means "dessert" and "cake": "dolce della sposa"
means "wedding cake". 

WONDERFUL BREAKING NEWS FOR CAMA DERUTA!

The coincidence of the number of letters in one of the most popular English sayings such as "Home Sweet Home" with its Italian translation "Casa Dolce Casa" (and reverse) is just striking: a total of thirteen letters and 13 is the luckiest number in Italy with the exact number of letters in the same words in both languages: 4+5+4!
 
Maybe the reason for 13 being a lucky number is that at one time the most popular state lottery in Italy was named "Totocalcio" where the goal was to guess 13 soccer results. Therefore there was the exclamation that still goes around in Italy: "I have scored thirteen!" which means that you had great success in your private life, in your social life, in a small or big wish and so on beyond winning a sum of pecuniary disposables.

Additionally, the word "sweet" in Italian is both an adjective (tr."dolce") as it is used in this expression and a noun (tr. "dolce") which means "dessert" and "cake". This is the reason why the word "HOME" makes me think now of a big PARTY CAKE to celebrate with!

A ceramics wedding plate with noble weds and their
crests on each side (credit: Ceramics Museum of Deruta)

In my case it is not a home in general, it is about the home of my ancestors for generations, it is my family home!

Therefore based on the most recent evolution of the story of Cama and with reference to this saying, to the number 13 and to the party cake, I think of myself as a lottery winner. Why? Perché? Because after dreaming, searching, asking, offering, stimulating, making projects of merging into other workshops in Deruta, which I have filed as my unshared dreams (one of the most difficult things to do in life is sharing someone else's dreams which at the end is one of the most rewarding actions in life), my parents decided to resume their artistry in ceramics in the small warehouse next to our family home.

What a great opportunity is disclosing to them, in the building that was intended to be the retail store of Cama Deruta when at the end of the 1960s the E-45 was built and the original project was contemplating a much larger exit for "Deruta Centro" (tr. "downtown Deruta"), compared to what it is now with its low underpass and the small roundabout!

As a consequence of the changes to the original project of the "superstrada" (Tr.motorway), this building was left unfinished and the retail store was never opened. One more reason to give this place its moment of glory! My parents will be happy to welcome the Friends of Cama visiting Deruta as their first stop, if they wish they can leave their dogs in the small garden behind the warehouse with our dogs, little by little we can arrange something nice together (a kitchen is also available besides a large lady's room, which is most welcome after a long trip), as if you were home!

The Canticle of The Creatures of Saint Francis of Assisi on a trompe-l'oeil ceramics
plaque on the back of one of the gratitude aedicules of Deruta
"He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands
and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head
and his heart is an artist" - Saint Francis of Assisi

So yesterday was just a great day, the first step to the dream of resuming the art, my mother and I we ordered for her a small kiln which we are planning to use for special occasions for beautiful unique ceramics pieces. The kiln will be custom made and will be ready in about fifteen days, in the meantime, we are getting ready to arrange the welcoming area of this unveiling space. This is what I wanted to share with you today as an update to the happy ending story of Cama Deruta. I am so happy today, I would like to embrace the world!

By the way, what shall we call this special space? Ideas are welcome, thank you very much in advance. And thank you for believing in art, beauty and values as much as we do, I am very grateful and glad to stroll with you arm in arm, our languages match perfectly on this saying, you are most welcome to our home!

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"Andare a braccetto" (tr. hand in hand, arm in arm) is an expression in Italian which means "to get along", "to be on the same page", "to share the same vision" also used for culinary expressions when two ingredients match perfectly.

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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Pinturicchio: the artist of the details and of little things

Ceramics reproduction of
a Renaissance broche
originally painted
by artist Pinturicchio. 

Pinturicchio is one of the artists who inspired the ceramics of Deruta along with Perugino as local artists. Pinturicchio was born in Perugia in 1452 and died in Siena in 1513.

He is famous for the details of his works that you may admire in the Cathedral of Siena (on the left side of the Church, the so called "Studio Piccolomini" which is stunning) and in Spello in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (on the right side of the street going up to the top of the town) in the Cappella Baglioni as an example as well as at the Umbrian National Gallery in Perugia.

In 2008  upon the celebrations for the 550th anniversary of his birth, Cama reproduced one of his broches, which in the Renaissance was synonymus with virtuosity. Men and women wore broches equally.

Cama, "The Chanel of Deruta": premises on Via Tiberina, 113 closed

Ciao 1950s! New millennium,
new home! 

I would like to inform the Cama customers and the Friends of Cama that as of June 18th, 2011 the workshop on Via Tiberina, 113 in Deruta is closed. This is an important step that will allow Cama to go forward and look for a new and exciting place, where resuming their art.

The original Cama logo 

whose letters 

are inscribed in the golden

number or golden section. 

The building you have visited until now was originally built late 1950s and was not the original building where Cama started her ceramics art. The workshop has been remodeled in the 1970s and late 1990s and has lost much of its original flavor. On the contrary we have kept the original logo and lots of enthusiasm to meet our friends and customers in a new place!

We have created a page on Facebook called "FriendsofCama" to honor the friends in the United States and in Europe who have been supporting Cama in her transition to a new rebirth.
Follow the Cama story through this blog and through Facebook. Become a fan!

Events and news coming up!

One of the best compliments ever received is that Cama is the "Chanel of Deruta". The works of Elena and Renato Niccacci are difficult to copy and right now there are people in Deruta struggling to make perfect fakes. This is quite a compliment, "imitation is the best way of flattering".

The original Cama Deruta logo is inscribed in a Golden Section also known as Divine Proportion, Golden Number, "Sezione Aurea" in Italian. The Golden Section was much in use in the Renaissance. The discovery is by graphic designer and stylist Marco Lucarelli from Perugia, Italy owner of Eidos. If you wish to contact Marco Lucarelli, email: eidos.staff@gmail.com, personable and exclusive creations for graphic and design projects.