Введение The majolica

The majolica

Three eighteenth-century majolica floors, the work of Neapolitan workers, once in the Trapani church of Santa Maria della Grazia, document the various fishing techniques practiced for centuries in the Mediterranean. The church, located in the ancient Trapani district of Casalicchio, a place of worship for the fishermen of the Marina Piccola, was destroyed following the bombings of the Second World War. The works, saved from ruin at the beginning of the twentieth century thanks to the ardent collecting passion of Count Pepoli, portray moments of everyday life of the eighteenth century within an elegant Rococo style frame. The tuna fishing scene is of extraordinary interest, in the dramatic moment that sees the fish, with large eyes wide open in fear, writhe with no escape in the narrow chamber of death. Of particular interest is also the majolica panel depicting a bird's eye view of Trapani, whose sea is crossed by "coralline", the traditional boats used for coral fishing. The interesting artefact was part of the ancient eighteenth-century floor of the church of Santa Lucia, a place of worship for coral fishermen. The majolica floors are accompanied by a rich collection of majolica vases largely intended to contain medicinal herbs and ointments and to furnish the shelves of the ancient apothecaries, or pharmacies of the time. Numerous Sicilian-made works come from the most important production centers on the island: Sciacca, Burgio, Palermo, Caltagirone and Trapani; However, there is no shortage of valuable examples of pottery produced in the prestigious workshops of Faenza, Venice, Deruta, Genoa and Savona.