Museo Didattico delle Maioliche

Grottaglie has been a center of production of artistic and traditional ceramics for five centuries. The geographical location of Grottaglie is strategic: it is close roads and hollow clay site which enabled the establishment of a community of “filguli” whose sold their product in the countries and in the Balkans . The production of shaped, molded and decorated pottery by master artisans from Grottaglie is an artistic-cultural phenomenon that traces back to the seventeenth century and that continues to this day. In 1937-38 the Educational Museum of Ceramics was set up. It was located in the Institute of Public Art of Grottaglie, in the neibourough of the " Ceramics Quarter", with the intent not preserve local traditions. The museum consists of about 300 artifacts related to artistic production and teaching from 1887 to today, a thematic and chronological itinerary has been organized. The first includes ceramics from Grottaglie from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century, the second shows rare ceramic works from the early twentieth century. Of particular interest are the dishes by Neapolitan master Anselmo De Simone. The last section is devoted to the activity of the Institute, where an exhibition of works created at the national and international competitions are shown.