Catherine de' Medici at the court of France

Catherine de' Medici  1519-1589

A Barbie doll with the reproduction of the
original wedding dress of Catherine de' Medici,
created by the artisans of the city of Florence in 2008. 

Piegaro, Italy is a small town in the northwest of Umbria, historically considered as a borderland between Umbria and Tuscany. At one time Piegaro was called "The Little Paris".  Piegaro has a lot in common with Tuscany, you might even hear people speak with a Florentine accent here.

Thinking of the important tradition that Tuscany has in its relationship with France, I may guess why something French might be considered as classy, sophisticated, and elegant and echoing here in Piegaro.

As a consequence, there must be historical reasons for this French influence and the first princely person we think of is the Florentine Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France.

Catherine belongs to the famous Medici family from Florence. In 1533 she got married to the king of France Henry II and she became Queen of France in 1547 at the age of 28.  Catherine and Henry had ten children, among which several monarchs.

The classical scalloped dinner
plate in the Ricco Deruta
pattern (By Cama). 

During her reign at the court of France, Catherine de' Medici brought fresh air and innovations directly from Italy. She brought chefs from Florence and revived the French cuisine, she introduced the fork, that the French did not use and at her dinner tables she only used scalloped shaped plates  (that are still best sellers in Deruta versus the smooth rim plates).

A book about the art of  needlework
to learn the Renaissance original
style of Catherine de' Medici. 

Catherine was also a great "cultrice d'ago" (tr. expert in needlework) and she created her own pattern, nowadays known as "Punto Madama Caterina" (tr. Madame Catherine's needlework) that became very popular among the ladies of the court of France.

Catherine de' Medici was a grand patron of the arts in France according to her family tradition back in Italy and there is a long list of countless art activities that she accomplished at the French court, which made her unforgettable.

A close-up of the Barbie doll.
The artisans first reproduced the original dress
full size and made the miniature afterward. 

In Deruta many years ago there was a famous needlework laboratory owned by the Corcioni sisters.

Among their artwork, they listed the "Punto Madama Caterina" or "Punto Caterina de' Medici" which has been brought back to life in the past decade by the Cultural Association "Ars Umbra", located in Deruta, President Anna Lisa Piccioni.

Follow this link to admire a modern celebration of the Renaissance tradition of needlework in Umbria.
Follow this link to read about the latest exhibition about Caterina de' Medici in Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, 2009.

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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Apple's apple and the Renaissance tradition of the "Impressum"

The successful Apple's brand logo
has classical origins. 

"Impressum" is a Latin word that in English translates "symbol" or "image" but it is more than this. It was a Renaissance tradition that nobles selected a maxim that was meaningful of their princely personality - usually a riddle or a play-on-word and a scene and/or a symbol. This creation was called "Impressum". The Impressum is very similar to a coat of arms/emblem, also known as a "device". 


Beyond Apple's success, an apple with a bite (a play on word with "byte") as a brand logo, there is an intimate relationship with the classical cultural codes coming from Greek and Latin traditions and in use in the Renaissance period. Apple's apple in particular is a synthesis of an original 16th century "Impressum".  Indeed Apple's logo is considered as the most meaningful example of how classical arts and traditions still influence the modern world of marketing and advertising. An interesting book about this subject is "L'originale assente" (tr. "Hidden archetypes")  by Bruno Mondadori, 2005 (ISBN 9788842492993)  curated by Monica Centanni, with many photos of current brand products. 


Monica Centanni is also the online magazine coordinator of "Engramma" (tr. engram). This is where we can read a more specific analysis of Apple's logo in terms of a classical uninterrupted tradition that started in the Renaissance period and is still vivid in the world of marketing. 

The original logo of "Apple Computer Co."
as per the classical Renaissance tradition of the
"Impressum".

Not long ago in one of my posts, I mentioned the motto "Festina Lente" (tr. haste slowly) which was Cosimo I de' Medici's maxim. In Cosimo's "Impressum" the symbol was a turtle with an inflated sail. In the case of Apple's logo the original "Impressum" was a scene with Isaac Newton under an apple tree with the saying “Newton... A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of  Thought... Alone”. 

The most important book about the "Impressum" art was written in the 16th century and is called "Dialogo dell' Imprese Militari e Amorose" (tr. " Military and Love Shields' Dialogues")  by Paolo Giovio, Bulzoni Editore Roma, 1978. In 1551 Sir Paolo Giovio donated the first copy of his book to Cosimo I de' Medici. The book was dedicated to him. Long-life to Florence, long life to Italian Renaissance. 

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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October 4th: Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Patron of Italy

A beautiful ceramics sign of a souvenir store in Assisi by famous artists Amerigo Lunghi and Serafino Volpi
 (Grazia Factory, 1923). 

Saint Francis of Assisi is celebrated every year in Assisi and in all the churches dedicated to this Saint on October 4th, the day he died in Assisi in 1226, exactly in the place where the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli is located, one of the sites where Saint Francis lived and prayed.

It is in the Church of the Portiuncola, inside the more recent Basilica, that Saint Francis in 1216 received the gift of the Indulgence for all the faithful, the so-called "Perdono di Assisi" which takes place on August 2nd every year and is the second by relevance after the indulgence of the Holy Land. By visiting the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli on August 2nd and by following a path of prayers all sins will be cleared.

Saint Francis was proclaimed Saint Patron of Italy together with Saint Catherine of Siena by Pope Pius XII in 1939.

Many wishes to everybody by the name of Francesca, Francesco, Franco, Franca, Frances, François, Françoise, Franziska, Fransiscus, Paco, Paca, Paquita for their name-day!

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Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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The Chameleon, mascot of CAMA DERUTA, and The Salamander

The chameleon, symbol of air
in the Renaissance 

A MASCOT IS BORN - IT 'S A GIRL! 

If you are visiting Florence you cannot miss the tour of Palazzo Vecchio, home of Cosimo I de' Medici and his wife Eleonora di Toledo in the Piazza Della Signoria. 

Cosimo I de' Medici is the proud gentleman on the horse next to this wonderful palace, his palace, nowadays seat of the commune of Florence and Museum. 

A unique part of Palazzo Vecchio is the laboratory/curio collection (tr."Studiolo") of Francesco I, son of Cosimo and Eleonora, passionate about alchemy and patron of the arts. 

The ceiling of this room are painted and encrusted in wood, like the rest of the space from top to bottom. By lifting up your eyes you will see the whole world represented all around through its founding components: fire, water, earth and air and each of these elements are translated into symbols.

The symbols that attracted me in the "Studiolo" were two of them in particular: fire and air, for specific reasons related to the history of Deruta. 

Indeed the symbol of fire was the salamander, which in Greek mythology was considered as resistant to fire.

The symbol of air was the chameleon, changing his skin colors like the rainbow in the air and expression of adaptation and resilience. 

One reason is that "The Salamander" (tr. La Salamandra) was a famous factory in the history of ceramics in Italy. It was founded in 1921 in Rome and transferred to Perugia in 1923. The manufacturing closed in 1955. A gem in the history of ceramics. 

The "Salamandra" factory was very important to the Deruta tradition for the revolutionary products they created which set the trend in the ceramics market in the world.

If you wish to know more about this factory I recommend the following book, besides visiting the Ceramics Museum of Deruta, where you may admire several ceramics samples by La Salamandra. 

"La Salamandra: arte e industria della ceramica a Perugia 1923-1955" by Giulio Busti and Franco Cocchi, Volumnia, 2000 (ISBN 9788885330894).  

The Salamander, symbol of fire in the Renaissance.

On the other hand in Florence, I was looking for Renaissance elements that were linked to the workshop of my family, Cama, and chameleon ("CAMAleonte" in Italian) includes the word CAMA. The Chameleon can also very well express the resilience, patience and boldness of Cama in these recent years. 

To me the chameleon and the salamander are very beautiful, attractive, strong and...artistic animals, the best animals to represent ceramics arts & crafts! 

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In 1925 'La Salamandra'  ceramics factory made its headquarters in Perugia in the deconsecrated Church of "San Francesco delle Donne" (Saint Francis of the Ladies), one of the oldest Franciscan sites dating back to 1212  and continued its activity there until the 1950s.

In the Church of "San Francesco delle Donne", you will find nowadays the workshop of Giuditta Brozzetti, the oldest fabrics workshop in Europe, making traditional products by hand in wooden ancient looms. Visit: The Giuditta Brozzetti website.

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Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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The Cama Deruta Blog celebrating 10,000 visits!

Become a Friend of Cama on Facebook:
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Last night we reached 10,000 visits to our blog started January 2009. 

We are very happy and thankful to our readers. We thank you for your patience in waiting for Cama to resume her work and for enjoying keeping in touch. 

This pause is so important for the health of the workshop and of my family. In this story the only thing we are going to lose is the building of Cama in Deruta on Via Tiberina number 113, which is no longer a valid address. 

What seems to be a loss is going to be an energetic step backwards to run faster and be stronger. The whole story started with the fall of my mother, Elena Niccacci,  in July 2008 and her breaking her femor. 

This event changed my mother's life,  my life and the life of the Cama workshop. 

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Updates: In august 2012 we have reached 24,000 visits! 

Pre-Christian Art: The Peacock and the eternity of life

A ceramics plate with the so called
"peacock feather" pattern
made in Deruta, Italy.

The first Christians used symbols and representations with hidden meanings, because of the fact that it was forbidden to them to worship the images of Christ,  the Virgin Mary and everything that was related to them.

The peacock in pre-Christian art (2nd-4th century A.D.) was the symbol of resurrection, renewal and eternal life. These hidden meanings were inspired by the fact that the peacock loses his feathers in the fall and sees them grow again in the spring therefore replacing them annually.

Additionally -  as a cultural heritage  from ancient Rome mythology -the peacock is linked to the myth of Hera/Juno, the goddess of  sky and stars: the flesh of the peacock does not decay after death, the bird is immortal.

The entrance to the Vatican courtyards are guarded by two bronze peacocks (copies) like in the imagery of the entrance to the Paradise.

The peacocks in the Vatican courtyards.

The original bronze statues from the 2nd century A.D. are safeguarded in one of the aisles of the Vatican Museums. Herewith follows a detail of one of the original statues:

The original peacock from the 2nd century A.D.
(detail) 

The golden reflexions are given by the fact that visitors have been touching the bronze statues of the peacocks for hundred of years to receive good luck!

Bible bestiary: the deer and the Siena pattern

seen in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), still image of Sally Fields
drinking cappuccino. The cup and saucer was by Cama Deruta.

"Sicut cervus ad fontem" (Roman Latin which translates in English: the same way the deer goes to the fount...) is the beginning of the Psalm of the Bible that has inspired the artists who created the floor of the Cathedral of Siena.

The marble details with the deer are located especially near the altar of the church and when I was a little girl my father Renato Niccacci took me several times to the Cathedral of Siena  to admire this work of art.

Many years ago these marble details were made into a pattern in Deruta and my father was one of the first artists to reproduce it. His black backgrounds are difficult to copy as well as the brightness of the finish. The background is made of all single brush strokes that are hard to detect. His Siena pattern is like a velvet.

This pattern is very elegant and beautiful on the table. Black and white are the official colors of the city of Siena.

Renato Niccacci in the Cama Deruta
uniform at the Dolomites' tour.

One curiousity about the Siena pattern is that the deer was a little slimmer in the 1970s, it has gained some weight as my father did, just a little for his body.

Indeed I am very proud that my father likes sports. He is a bike rider and has been taking part to the tour of the Dolomites, the famous "Dolomiten Radrundfahrt" for 22 years. He has stopped going to the tour in the last three years but he is still exercising and looking forward to going again.

Bello il mio papà! Sweet, elegant and calm like the deer.

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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".

The story of my dream for a retirement home in Deruta

Thinking of innovative ideas
for Deruta.  In the photo: entrance
door to the "Valle" neighborhood
facing Perugia.

View from the village of Piegaro, Italy
(photo by: Sissel Bendiksen) 

In the past three years my life has completely changed. My most recent life event is my moving to the village of Piegaro upon the border between Umbria and Tuscany. Piegaro is full of life and is the icing on the cake of my beautiful life story in recent times.

My family's workshop's events have ended up giving me lots of strength and joy of life. Funny enough I got energetic by going through a large amount of stress and hard trials and many times when I was tempted to give up on all fronts: the same path of a novel's hero,  for almost three years now. 

As a consequence of the recession my family has lost all their properties and material belongings. After the mourning, now I am feeling light and free, willing to look for new adventures. This experience has changed my life perspective more than anything before.  I am thankful to life, to my parents and to what life is offering to me. What I crave for right now is health, happiness and independence.  

In the beginning of my recent adventure in the world of business,  trying to help my family in recession times - without any experience as an entrepreneur -  I realized I was looking for solutions to problems that were impossible to solve. Additionally I met strong resistances on all fronts. The first thing I did early 2009 was  setting up an appointment with the mayor of Deruta. 

I got my appointment! I was all enthusiastic about a dream I had for the town of Deruta. This was my point; I said to the mayor that if customers cannot buy ceramics at the moment or the markets' demand is too low, I said that to me the best would be creating other points of attraction in the city of Deruta. As a consequence present ceramics as a second or third option. 

Art-therapy is in use in the best retirement homes
and in caregiving daycares for the elderly.

The mayor probably thought that my idea was crazy. Indeed he is all into ceramic urban furnishing in Deruta:  as an example he has had comfortable wooden benches replaced by ceramic benches that are so uncomfortable that older people do not use them any longer.  

Anyway this is the dream I had for Deruta and I wanted to share with the administration's first citizen: an art retirement home for the elderly. 

Why is it so special? My retirement home comes with satellite laboratories for the arts and crafts that families with children can use during week-ends as an alternative to visiting malls. Children do not come necessarily in touch with elderly people if their parents do not want to. But they can use the same spaces that the elderly use for their daily arts and crafts activities. 

Besides art-therapy, gardens stimulating senses
are part of modern caregiving daycare. 

As a second step the art retirement home areas can be enriched with rooms for art lectures, art meetings and cultural exchanges, a bed and breakfast and so on. 

I have had the idea of a retirement home in Deruta since 2004 when I got in touch with the world of the elderly as a caregiver. I mean how it should technically be. But this is not what makes this idea so special. 

What else makes my retirement home idea so special? There is a very funny story about a retirement home in Deruta. The elderly of my town would really love to see their dream come true. This is how the story goes. 

At one time someone very dear to the town of Deruta, a franciscan friar born in Deruta, wanted to create an ecumenical center there for the Jewish and the Catholic religions. His early death did not allow him to accomplish his project. However what's  interesting is that the word "ecumenical"was probably not too familiar to the elderly in Deruta. In their mind their friar friend wanted to open a retirement home for the elderly of Deruta; that he was thinking of them! He was so darling with elderly people. 

The elderly in Deruta still love the idea after more than 30 years. What a funny and beautiful story: an art retirement home in Deruta would be a wonderful project to accomplish. A way to say thank you to all the unknown Deruta artists who have worked in the ceramic factories and contributed to make Deruta famous in the world. And...in the same complex we could finally open an additional space for the Jewish and the Catholic ecumenical world! 


What would life be if we did not have beautiful stories to tell. 

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The story of the singing rooster from Deruta and the musical notes.

Artist and friend Romano Ranieri in a recent photo.
(photo credit: Scuola d'Arte Ceramica Romano Ranieri)

In 1953 Romano Ranieri was attending the last year of high school, the fabled “Liceo Classico”.

During the summer of that year Romano entered the famous ceramics factory “G.Grazia” in Deruta as an apprentice. At that time workshops were structured in teams with  team masters and  a department head. Each apprentice had to follow strictly the rules of his master and of the workshop in general. Romano was selected to work in the team of Mr. Olivo Pelli.  

Mr. Olivo Pelli has been one of the greatest artists in Deruta for the ORVIETO rooster pattern. During that summer Olivo gave Romano the order of painting a group of dinner plates in the rooster pattern. “The plates were for a customer in the United States, whose initials were P.V.” – Romano remembers. The plates had to be finished within the day.

Romano started painting the plates and in the late afternoon he was making the last plate. Out of his initiative Romano created something new: next to the open beak of the singing rooster he draw the lines of the pentagram and 4 or 5 music notes without saying anything to his team master.

The plate was fired and after they discovered what Romano had done, even the department head, Mr.Virgilio Spaccini, had something to say and Romano was reproached for his doing something without the approval of his superiors. The plate was discarded and placed among the seconds.

One day the United States agent visited the Grazia factory. He inadvertently noticed the plate with the notes of the pentagram hidden among the seconds. He was ravished, full of interest for something new. The agent liked Romano’s plate so much that since then he only wanted the Orvieto rooster pattern with the notes of the pentagram!  

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Romano Ranieri was already a very promising creative artist! Romano's father had been sending him to the home of ceramics masters in Deruta from a young age every single school summer break.With the passing of time, Romano Ranieri has been improving his talent for painting on ceramics also adding other supports like canvas and wood. He is now among the most important and best artists of the history of Deruta. In 2001 Romano opened a school where he teaches the art of painting. To know more about this artist and his school, visit the Romano Ranieri website.

Note for the reader -
PHOTOS OF ORIGINAL PLATES BY ROMANO RANIERI WITH THE SINGING ROOSTER COMING SOON! A FRIEND OF MINE OWNS THEM AS HE INHERITED THEM FROM HIS GRANDPARENTS BUT IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET THE PHOTOS. I WILL HAVE TO GO AND TAKE THE PHOTOS IN PERSON AND BE BACK TO YOU!

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posted by Roberta Niccacci

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July 26th: The Borgo of Deruta celebrates the Feast of Saint Anne.

The most familiar image of Saint Anne
in the homes of  Deruta

Every year on July 26^th Deruta celebrates the mother of the Virgin Mary, Saint Anne, in the neighborhood of town known as “Borgo of Deruta” or “Borgo Bello”.

"Borgo" is the name of the lower parts of Medieval villages or towns in Italy, usually the areas along narrow streets, where craftsmen and artists lived. This area was extended to the peasants who lived in the areas around the village itself especially for the use of the Church.

The veneration of Saint Anne (The goddess Ceres in the pagan tradition) originated from the worship of life, fertility, and of harvests. Saint Anne in fact is the Saint Protector of new mothers and new brides. We pray Saint Anne to ask help for fertility.

In Deruta every year on July 26^th they would celebrate Saint Anne with a market selling animals for meat and products of the countryside and by opening the Church in honor of the rural world. The tradition continues nowadays in the Borgo of Deruta by opening the Church of Saint Anne to the public and by inviting craftsmen and merchants with all sorts of products. 

Nowadays the fair/market takes place on a Sunday that precedes or follows the 26th of July if this date is a working day. 

Happy Name-day to all our friends whose name is Anna, Anne, Ann, Hanna, Annina, Annetta and similar. 

Cama Deruta: A Happy Ending Story for a Case Story

Cama Deruta: 
a business that goes beyond business

FOLLOW THE WONDERFUL STORY OF CAMA DERUTA

The happy ending story feed of Cama now available on facebook and  twitter. Become a Friend of Cama with just a click. We would love to have you in our circle. We will all be part of a beautiful life experience. Events in the United States and a very original solution for Cama to resume her beautiful work will be the occasion to access together new business paths as pioneers of a new way of purchasing beautiful Arts & Crafts.

THANK YOU NOTE

With this occasion I would like to send many thanks to the Friends of Cama in California, to the Friends of Cama in Germany, to the Friends of Cama in Italy and to the Friends of Cama in Canada for their support in the past couple of years. A thank you to the Friends of Cama in Australia.

Also welcoming the new Friends of Cama from Seattle, Washington.


BECOME A FRIEND OF CAMA,  BY JOINING OUR FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORKS!

The Green Heart Revolution for a Green Art has started. Go green and follow the FriendsofCama!

Lost crafts: The Art of Straw Weaving in Piegaro

FIVE "fiascos" from left to right:
1. An old fiasco I found in the home I live.
2. The fiasco I bought in the Piazza of Piegaro from Peppina.
3. 4. 5. The fiascos I made at the classes of straw weaving! 

News From Piegaro, Italy - The art of straw weaving around the bottle called a "fiasco" belongs nowadays to volunteers promoting the town upon appointment of the cultural association "Il Borgo". Artists give free demonstrations to tourists in the Piazza in the evenings and for 5 euros you can take a "fiasco" home with you. The association "Il Borgo" gives all the revenues from the sales of these“fiascos” to the promotion of the art of straw weaving in Italy and abroad. It is also possible to take lessons at the local Glass Museum for the same price! 

Herewith follows a description of the art from the files of the Glass Museum in Piegaro: 

"Flask production is associated  with specific workmanship, called dressing, entrusted up until the 1970s to Tuscan straw-workers of Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Montelupo, Empoli and Colle Val D’Elsa, and to flask dressers of Piegaro who used sun-dried marsh plants (scarcia).

At first, straw work was done inside the glasswork factories. Then, because of increased production, the containers were taken to the dressers’ homes. This activity served to supplement the modest domestic budget, or even maintain it completely, especially in moments of crisis. The women used to do piecework, for very long hours, often even after supper and on Sunday morning. They would work seated on little stools since this enabled them to hold the flask better.

Technique and Instruments

The scarcia was always kept soaked in water so that it would not break when used and would not cut the worker’s hands. When there was an urgent consignment, the women organized a work chain, leaving the best dresser to finish off the work […].

The only instruments used in this craft were often passed down from mother to daughter and included needles of various shapes and sizes, and a pair of scissors. The plants used to obtain the sala or scarcia were picked on the banks of the lakes or marshes. The scarcia was also used for the padded parts of the chairs.

fiasco on the left: binding technique,
fiasco on the right winding technique,
 classical of Piegaro.

The two most common working techniques were binding, where leaves of scarcia were inserted vertically between the base and the shoulder of the flask, and winding, which was used to cover a certain type of flask, the pulcianella, in which a cord made of interweaved leaves started at the base of the flask and was wound round up to the shoulder. A short cord was added to the finished flask to make it easier to carry when holding more than one container in the same hand".

(Credits: from the leaflets of the Glass Museum in Piegaro).

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Your staying in Piegaro: Visit the website of my friends Colleen Simpson and Tom Webb, owners of L'Antica Vetreria:  the first glass factory in Piegaro from the 13th century is now a beautiful Villa! www.anticavetreria.net.