History of Ceramics in Tuscany

Borgo San Lorenzo ceramics: seven hundred years of history

Pre-industrial production

Evidence in archives discovered by the historian Galeazzo Cora towards the end of the sixties, shows clearly how the production of ceramics had early roots in Borgo San Lorenzo. In fact, evidence of pottery can be found dating back to the 15th century and further research has shown that it continued in the 16th century, thanks to the presence of at least four kilns; besides, other documents from the archives prove the existence of four ceramic workshops in Borgo San Lorenzo which were operating between the 17th and 18th centuries. Even some members of the Sarti or Sartori families, descendents of Lorenzo di Piero Sarto from Montelupo – which explains the initials “Lo” placed on some of the masterpieces of Italian Renaissance majolica – appear to have emigrated in 1536 and ended up running a “workshop …for making tableware” in the Opera degli Scali, in the centre of Borgo San Lorenzo.
 

The production of Borgo San Lorenzo ceramics remains, however, largely unknown, especially that of earlier times, even though already at the time of the First World War, the writer Francesco Niccolai made known the finding of a refuse tip with waste from a kiln in Castelvecchio, in the old centre of Borgo San Lorenzo. Unfortunately this was only a brief account, without illustrations, which did not rouse any interest on the part of other scholars. In any case, it can be deduced from this that the kiln from which this refuse came was probably used towards the end of the 15th century to produce engobed and sgraffitoed ceramics.
More information about work with clay in Borgo San Lorenzo came from the examination of another refuse tip of a kiln, discovered at the beginning of the eighties by the Gruppo Archaelogico “Luco” of Borgo San Lorenzo not far from the first. In this case the analysis of the material showed that it came from a workshop which was in use in the last two decades of the 16th century, where mainly engobed ceramics were made using the well-known techniques and methods of decoration prevalent at the time (simple, painted, glaze carved, monochrome, green glazed, polychrome engobed etc.). Here they also used to produce pots and pans for the kitchen and marbled ceramics.

There is at present no other evidence of kiln refuse to help with an examination of pre-industrial production in Borgo San Lorenzo. However, the movement of local products to Florence, which is well documented in the context of late Renaissance, shows that such activity was by no means negligible, in fact there was probably quite a considerable movement of goods within the region towards the Florentine area. Detailed reasons for the decline of the activity of these local kilns at the end of the Modern Era is hitherto unknown.
In any case, it is likely that some work with clay was still carried on in Borgo San Lorenzo during the 19th century. The beginning of the following century, in fact, like in other places in Tuscany, – thanks to Pietro Alessio Chini, decorator and head of the family of this name – brought about an important revival in production here:

> Galileo Chini and the Fornaci San Lorenzo