Ancient and still flourishing today is the production of ceramics in Puglia,also thanks to the rich red clay quarries present in the territory.
The main center of ceramic production is Grottaglie, in the province of Taranto. In the heart of this characteristic town, along the Gravina San Giorgio, an entire district of expert potters has been formed over the centuries who, obtaining workshops and cooking ovens in the rock of underground environments used in the past also as mills, have been able to develop a flourishing artisan activity today recognized and appreciated all over the world.
Two main products of the Grottagliese Figulina tradition: the `Bianchi di Grottaglie`, an artistic manufacture typical of a certain type of elitist production characterized by the exaltation of pure form through the use of stanniferous white enamel, and the most characteristic rustic and popular ceramic,characterized by a chromatic palette consisting of rotten green, ochre yellow, blue and manganese. This production includes the famous capasoni from capase, that is, capable, containers of considerable size shaped in distinct sections and subsequently joined and intended mainly to contain wine.
To date Grottaglie, with its numerous pottery shops, is the only Apulian ceramic center protected by the D.O.C brand and included in the small list of the 28 cities of Italian ceramics.
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