October 22nd, 2011: Deruta Pottery in Seattle, Washington

Hats & Tea
Fashion Show and Silent Auction 

We request the honor of your Presence 

at the Annual Fund raising auction and tea party

upon the First Appointment with Cama Deruta

on Saturday October 22nd, 2011

at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
3605  84th Ave, SE

Mercer Island, Washington 98040

Please Join Us! 

For more information about the event and registration write to:

staff@churchofmarymagdalene.org

or call (206) 621-8474

Cama Deruta has made a generous donation of beautiful and valuable handpainted cups and saucers to increase financial support to the homeless women and children who comprise the community of the Church of Mary Magdalene and Mary's Place in Seattle. Also featuring a coffee pot, tray and vegatable dish. 

Church of Mary Magdalene and Mary's Place work together to provide day shelter for homeless women and children, offering meals, clothing, hygiene services information and referral to help women out of homelessness. 

www.churchofmarymagdalene.org 

An Ecumenical Ministry with homeless women. 

The hats and tea fashion show started 7 years ago showcasing the beautiful work of Annie De Vuono,  visit: http://www.devuonohats.com. 

Many thanks to Lisa Connolley  for  her cooperation in establishing the connection with the Church of Mary Magdalene/Mary's Place.

Follow Mary's Place on twitter: http://twitter.com/MarysPlaceWA and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/marysplacedaycenter

Become a Friend of Cama by joining the Cama fan page at: www.facebook.com/friendsofcama

an on twitter through Bertabella, our speaker from Renaissance times: www.twitter.com/bertabella

To know more about the Italian tradition of Bellas, visit: www.bertabella.blogspot.com

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If you wish to donate to the Church of Mary Magdalene, follow this link:
Remember to mention that you are a "Friend of Cama".

Deruta pottery: The Salt War in 1540

The Umbria region has got two main towns, Perugia and Terni.

Deruta is under the district of Perugia. 

Wheat is life! Excellent flour and bread in Umbria.

In 1540 Perugia was fighting the Pope on the occasion of the salt war, which originated from the fact that Perugia did not accept another tax on the salt, under the Pope's monopoly, Pope Paul III of the Farnese Family at that time. 

Perugia lost the war and the city was finally submitted to the Pope's domains. As a result, starting at that time, the territory of Perugia boycotted the salt tax. This is why local bread in Deruta and in our region is traditionally salt-free.

In the ceramics art museum of Deruta, you may admire beautiful Renaissance salt dispensers. Salt was something that wealthy families only could afford. 

In the Renaissance, the Deruta ceramics art reached the highest excellence inspired by artists such as Perugino, Pintoricchio, Raffaello, Michelangelo, the best artists who worked for the Popes.                                     

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Saint Valentine

A Valentine All Year Long.
We will write about Terni in February, celebrating Saint Valentine originally from this town. Saint Valentine is going to be among our future appointments in 2011.
Happy New Year!
    

- Original Post by Roberta Niccacci -

follow my blog and like my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/friendsofcama
email: friendsofcama@gmail.com 

             

Deruta ceramics: The Duke Federico da Montefeltro and his wife Battista Sforza.

Photo Credit: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Duke Federico da Montefeltro and his wife Battista Sforza  circa  1465.

One of the most important and inspiring Nobelman of the Renaissance history in Italy is Federico da Montefeltro (1422-1482). One of his properties was  the Palazzo Ducale in Gubbio, where he was born.

I went to the Palazzo Ducale for the first time this year on June 26th to visit an exhibition of Renaissance ceramics from private collections, including Deruta.

I was astonished by the beauty of the Palace and by a 3D theater setting  with one of my favorite Italian actors, Giulio Base, playing the part of the Duke.

The Duke of Montefeltro is important in the history of Deruta, because Umbrian artisans took inspiration from him and his wife for the Ceramics Renaissance Portrait Plates: two single plates where the nobleman and the noblewoman look at each other.

In Deruta the same rule  is extended to  traditional patterns: if you have two plates containing two birds, one on each plate, like in the Arabesco pattern, remember that  they have to look at each other versus running after each other!

The "ritratti affrontati" (tr. fronted portraits) or "dittico" (tr.diptych) is considered as a symbol of Aristocracy. The author of the portraits above is the Italian Renaissance Artist Piero della Francesca. It is a very famous work of art, depicting the most famous profiles of the Renaissance.

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Do not miss the Uffizi Gallery when you travel to Italy. Enjoy the origin of cultural traditions! Take home something memorable, a piece of Italian history in your heart. Closed on Mondays.