Albisola Ceramics

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Exit the motorway at Albisola, after the toll booth turn right and continue to the via Aurelia. Turn left and go approximately half a kilometre to the second traffic light. Turn left and look for a parking-space. The "Manlio Trucco Ceramics Museum" is there in front of you.

Enter the Museum from the Aurelia. Your first steps will take you through centuries of ceramic tradition beginning with its earliest moments in Albisola up to the present.

The ground floor offers an exposition of "Artistic Vases and Plates". The exhibit merits close attention as it is representative of the best of Albisola's famous ceramists.

Walk on and go up the stairs to the first floor. Here you'll be surrounded by the works of the first ceramists who initiated the Albisolese tradition.

Displayed in twelve showcases, each dedicated to an important period of local production. Each showcase is accompanied by photographs which show additional pieces of the same technique and period, along with its history.

Pieces on view have been donated by private individuals and corporations. This antiquities exhibit is permanent.

As well as offering actual creations by early artists, examples of their tools (XV - XVI centuries), are also on view.

Nearby "casette" or "caselle" are of particular interest. These are cylindrical-shaped containers where plates and bowls were placed for firing. Also of interest is the fact that fragments of these "caselle" were recycled and used in walls which line the historical streets of Albisola.

The oldest "casette" were made of very fine yellow marble powder. Tripods ("treppiedi") used to separate items in cooking are also shown.

During the XVIII century nearly all tool contained two or three letters in relief (probably the initials of the artist).

Another showcase is dedicated to the XV century production of "laggioni", tiles for floors and walls, made in Savona, Albisola's nearest neighbor.

In the XVI century, monochrome blue majolica was created and became typical of Savona, bringing success to that city during the XVII and XVIII centuries. Nowadays this kind of pottery is known as "Antico Savona" (Old Savona) or "Bianco e Blu" (White and blue).

Examples of this process include the earliest attempts, such as pieces of plates which collapsed in the firing process; stylized, white-glazed majolicas and a light blue-glazed majolica plate.

Oriental drawings, vegetable and animal designs are a characteristic of the earliest majolica pieces. The human representation is very rare and it is usually peculiar to larger pieces.

As well as monochrome or polychrome plates, naturalistic designed chemist vases are also presented. The most famous artist was Gerolamo Merega, who sold chemist vases to many hospitals in Genova. Such was his influence that fully three showcases are dedicated to him.

Precious pottery adorned with ancient historic and biblical scenes and a background of typical landscapes is exhibited.

One showcase is dedicated to XVIII century creations which used an entirely new technique: "taches-noires" decorated terracotta, which is terracotta painted brown.

Colours and paints for the local pottery industry were provided by Ellera's mills (I Mulini di Ellera). One panel brings this intriguing story to you.

Of even greater interest is the history of "trademarks" used by ceramists to protect their creation: a lantern, a fish, a crown, three fishes laid overlapping each other or a small Savonese coat of arms.

During the second half of the XIX century a kind of terracotta was created: the "terracotta ingobbiata" (terracotta covered with yellow paint). It was mainly used for small devotional and patriotic statues exhibited in their own delightful showcase.

In Albisola individual families made the statues by hand using moulds. The design was basic but differentiation came in the style of dress and/or in the gift carried to the newborn Christ child.

The "Manlio Trucco Ceramics Museum" is open : Monday-Friday 10.00 a.m. - 12.00 p.m; Saturday 3.30 p.m. - 5.30 p.m.

Admission is free of charge.