Traces of old furnaces and many archive witnesses make us think of the existence of ceramics works already at the time of the Arabs. The first ceramics findings date back to the discovery of the old town’s cemetery (1878-1880). The old cemetery is the most genuine expression of Santo Stefano’s artisans. The ceramics covers found on the graves are the widest collection of majolica for pavements.




The reconstruction of the town in 1682 represented a strong incentive for the production of brick-works (tiles and bricks), and the production was also advantaged by the fact that the town was moved down to the valley were there were richer clay quarries. In the eighteenth century, when terracotta tiles began to be glazed, clay arts in Santo Stefano made a qualitative leap and could compete with the Caltagirone, Palermo, Trapani and Naples clays.


The glaze and colour production techniques were learnt by majolica masters from Naples. The production was not limited to the building material and to materials for domestic use. There was also a production of artistic ceramics for interior and exterior decorations of aristocrats’ palaces. At the beginning of this century (1934) the regional School of Arts for Ceramics was set up. The quality of the production improved both in Italy and abroad (Santo Stefano Ceramics are shown at international exhibitions in New York, Toronto, Frankfurt, Barcelona, etc..)





Fire in ceramics kilns has burnt for more than 300 years without dying out..



Santo Stefano ceramics boast an extremely rich collection of shapes, figures and colours, in the production of flower pot holders, plates, jugs, vases and tiles with the traditional polychrome decorations. A constant characteristic of these ceramics is a rural taste that accompanies the enamels’ brightness and the pictorial taste of the decorations, as in the end-of the eighteenth century Trabia palace.








The essential colours of this majolica are copper green, orange-yellow, cobalt blue and manganese brown that, though respecting the typical geometry of the Luigi 14th style, maintain the rural element that is typical of the Sicilian taste. The success of the Santo Stefano economy lies in the fact that they exported not only products but also the culture that generated them, the processes and the enthusiasm with which they were designed and produced.




In the nineteenth century, even though the traditional and already experimented ceramics tradition was being kept alive, the artisan production was being transformed into an industrial technique. At the beginning the range of decorations was not very wide, but later it expanded, when the local ceramists came in touch with ceramists from Naples. Some artisans, in order to improve their pictorial techniques invited to Santo Stefano some ceramists from France, who worked for them and remained in town for many years.

For further information:

Council dept. of Handicrafts
Council dept. of Cultural Affairs
Town Council of Santo Stefano di Camastra (Me)
Via Palazzo, 35
98077
Tel: +39 921 331110
Fax: +39 921 331566