Pesaro

Due to its proximity to Urbino, Pesaro has long been overlooked as a maiolica center, but recent research has suggested that the coastal town was home to a number of influential workshops and played a significant role in the development of Italian ceramics from at least the 1400s.

A number of documents from the Renaissance confirm impressive production levels and intense commercial activity, and attest to the widespread appreciation for wares manufactured in Pesaro.

Examples of Pesaro maiolica from the 15^th and 16^th centuries comprise nearly all of the renowned styles of the period, including trophy patterns, compendiario wares, and the istoriato designs for which the Duchy of Urbino became so well known.

In fact, Pesaro fell under the influence of the leading families of Urbino and benefited from their patronage. In 1552, Giacomo Lanfranco delle Gabicce of Pesaro, having discovered the means for applying gold gilding to terra cotta, was granted exclusive privileges from Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, for the production of such wares. This concession was a confirmation of the high quality of goods produced in Pesaro, as well as an indication of their economic and political value to the Duchy.

Other talented artisans working in Pesaro during the Renaissance include Sforza di Marcantonio, who may have trained in the Lanfranco workshop, and the so-called Zenobia Painter, whose yellow-orange-dominated palette and impressionistic manner epitomized the town’s interpretation of the istoriato style.

Pesaro is best known for the fine enamel-decorated maiolica produced in the 18^th century, when the introduction of the muffle-kiln prompted a significant resurgence of activity in a number of Italian towns that had experienced a decline during the previous century.

The elegant rose pattern developed during this period remains the symbol of Pesaro production to this day. Derived from motifs first developed in Strasbourg and made popular in Italy by painters from Lodi and Milan, this refined decoration gained many admirers and represented a driving force in the town’s maiolica revival.