Faenza

The fact that nearly all tin-glazed earthenware produced outside of Italy (where it is called maiolica) is known generically as faïence is a testament to the central role played by Faenza in the development and diffusion of these wares throughout Europe.

Archeological evidence confirms the manufacture of pottery in this area of Romagna along the river Lamone from at least the first century BC, but it was not until the introduction of tin-glaze techniques in the Middle Ages that local craftsmen began to take full advantage of the particular qualities of the riverbanks’ fine clays.

Tin oxide-based glazes fire to an opaque, vitreous finish that not only renders earthenware impermeable, but also provides a pristine surface for decoration. During the early medieval period, artisans in Faenza experimented with this technique in a mainly utilitarian context, perfecting processes, improving color palettes and expanding their figurative repertories.

The decoration of these early wares was similar to that favored in the towns serving Florence, and for nearly two centuries, the evolution of Faentine maiolica largely mirrored developments in Tuscany.

By the 1400s, Faenza began to emerge as an independent center. The Gothic-floral painting style and more elaborate ceramic shapes highlighted the achievements of craftsmen who had made substantial advances in both painting and potting.

At mid-century, Faentine wares were known not only for the quality, variety and brilliance of their glazes and pigments, but also for the sophistication of their forms, expertly realized in the lightest and purest of clays.

Demand for these wares quickly grew beyond the borders of Romagna to Veneto, the Marches, Umbria, Abruzzo, and other areas whose local traditions, though strong, did not share the same level of sophistication as that of Faenza which by now was the dominant maiolica-producing center.

Most of the goods made during this period were destined for practical applications in the increasingly formalized contexts of hospitals, pharmacies, monasteries, but some articles were created for display or presentation as gifts in the courts of ruling families.

The growing consumer base drove production on a grander scale, and encouraged innovation and diversification of both forms and ornament, allowing for the emergence of specialized workshops and masters expert in certain styles.

The influence of these masters, many of whom emigrated to other areas, is evident over the period of at least 75 years which represents the time of greatest expansion for what is considered by some to be the most influential center of the Renaissance.

During the 15^th and 16^th centuries, artisans from Faenza were responsible for the development of important maiolica styles in Italy – the schools of Siena (Maestro Benedetto) and Castel Durante (Giovanni “Zoan” Maria), as well the famous tile pavements of San Petronio in Bologna (1487) and San Sebastiano in Venice (1570) - and beyond.

Lyons and Nevers, the first major centers for maiolica in France, were settled in the 16^th century by Italian potters whose interpretations of the styles and techniques of Faenza helped make the French form of the town’s name (faïence) forever synonymous with tin-glazed earthenware.

The characteristic styles of Faenza were among the most innovative and imitated maiolica types of the Renaissance: a quartieri, alla porcellana, istoriato, a berettino, and compendiario whitewares (also known as bianchi di Faenza).

Of the many 16^th century workshops producing what Giorgio Vasari describes in Le vite de’ più eccelenti pittori scultori e architettori (1550) as “the best earthenwares, and the most beautiful”, perhaps the most important was Ca’ Pirota which produced splendid alla porcellana, istoriato, and a berettino plates. Other important workshops of the period include those of the Bergantini and Manara brothers, and of Francesco Mezzarisa.

The work of another famous master, Virgiliotto Calamelli, marks a period of transition in Faentine maiolica, when the influence, first of Mannerism, then of Baroque styles revolutionized the maiolica industry.

Calamelli’s whitewares mimicked the highly modeled forms of metalware and other decorative arts, carrying earthenware potting to unprecedented levels and setting the stage for the highly crafted, delicately-, and more sparsely-painted wares of the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

In fact, it is in these later centuries that the remarkable ability of Faentine ceramicists to keep pace with current trends while maintaining the excellent technical standards and strong sense of originality that traditionally defined their production, is most apparent.

The workshop of the counts of Ferniani was active for about two hundred years, during which it dominated maiolica production in Faenza and throughout Italy.

The first phase of Ferniani production was dedicated to compendiario whiteware, but by the early 1700s, the workshop was inspired by the decoration of the highly fashionable imports from China and Japan.

This atelier was also central to the development of new technologies, adopting muffle-kiln (piccolo fuoco or terzo fuoco) techniques in order to make use of a richer, more varied color palette.

These innovations were essential in a period when porcelain, both in the form of porcelain from the Far East and as the new hard- and soft-paste wares of Northern Europe, threatened to overtake the ceramics market.

Thanks to the success of goods in a variety of unique styles, including the colorful Oriental garden pattern and the outstanding wares by the master Filippo Comerio, the Ferniani workshop was able to stave off that sad inevitability until the 19^th century, when Faenza’s long run of success finally came to a close.