A visit to the Ceramics Museum of Fiorano Modenese, a little gem located in Spezzano Castle, which illustrates the ancient history and extraordinary ceramic manufacturing vocation of Fiorano Modenese.
Between Sassuolo and Maranello lies a little village that’s the guardian of the impressive ceramic history of the Modena-Reggio Emilia district.
The Fiorano Ceramics Museum, established in 1996, hosts a collection stretching from the Stone Age to the Contemporary Era, illustrating the aesthetic evolution of objects and production techniques, until the development of the ceramics industry. The Museum is housed in Spezzano Castle, well worth a visit in itself! The mediaeval palace, turned into a noble residence in 1529, is surrounded by a nineteenth-century park, not far from the Salse di Nirano Nature Reserve.
From the Renaissance courtyard, surrounded by a portico, visitors enter the Fiorano Ceramics Museum, located on the first floor and in the basement of the castle. Thanks to the experimental archaeology reconstructions, the Museum allows visitors to observe how ceramics are made, with models of a workshop, firing kilns, ancient ceramic craftsmen’s tools, ceramic works and tools. Also on show are a number of devotional plates, dedicated to Sant'Antonio Abate, testifying to the everyday use of ceramics.
Next to the history section is the multimedia display that tells the story of the people who have shaped the history of ceramics, from the 19th century up to the present: a thrilling experience that takes the visitor on a journey back in time, thanks to audio accounts and period reconstructions. The Labour section continues with the permanent photographic exhibition by the artist Paola De Pietri entitled Seccoumidofuoco, featuring photographs taken at the ceramic factories in the district.
The contemporary room focuses on early industrial production with the first bricks, fired in continuous-cycle Hoffman kilns, nineteenth-century majolica tiles and the first machine-pressed ceramic tiles. A splendid collection of craftsmanship, contemporary art, design and ceramics made in Italy and abroad, also including a "Homage to Enzo Ferrari”.
Inspired by this noble tradition, FAP Ceramiche, since 1960, has been producing beautiful, fine-quality stoneware tiles and white-body wall tiles, using sustainable processes and top-quality, safe raw materials and guaranteeing a distinctive, original design…
