Ceramic Guide - Rome

In this edition of 36 Hours, we give tips to key ceramic destinations in Rome. Rome has more than 120 museums and over 200 galleries so there’s an abundance of choice. Make sure to check the Ceramic World Destinations Map for more destinations in the city!

This list is based on Lori-Ann Touchette's experience living as an expat in the city for the past twenty-five years. Touchette is the Co-founder and Director of CRETA Rome.

Before your trip, you should do some research on the many temporary exhibitions in important sites such as Palazzo delle Esposizione, the Chiostro di Bramante (both with great cafes), MAXXI, and Scuderie del Quirinale.

For galleries, Mattia De Luca Gallery, Anna Marra, Valentina Bonomo, Lorcan O’Neill, Francesca Antonini, Gagosian, Sant’Andrea de Scaphis - Gavin Brown, and T273 are a good start.

Our international ceramics center, CRETA Rome hosts exhibitions of current resident artists 8-10 times a year. Check our website to see what is on or contact us for an appointment to stop by our studio.

Exibart, the database of current exhibitions in Italy will also list shows and any other openings each day.

Of course, mix it up as you wish!

For accommodation, there are a myriad of choices, from 5-star hotels to hostels and Airbnbs. We recommend monasteries for an authentic experience in the city. Try the Monastery Stay website and contact them directly for the best price. Be aware that some have curfews.

^{C.R.E.T.A. ROME - image courtesy of Lori-Ann Touchette}

Day 1

The Heart of the Historical Center

3 PM: Palazzo Venezia + elevator of the Vittoriano

Begin in the heart of historical Rome with the Museo del Palazzo Venezia. In the section dedicated to ceramics, a long corridor of Asian and European porcelains leads to the area dedicated to Italian Renaissance maiolica including a complete set of pharmacy albarelli.

Beyond is an extraordinary collection of terracotta maquettes by the Baroque masters Bernini, Algardi, and later 18th-century sculptors. Don’t miss the ceramic pavements produced in the time of Mussolini’s occupation of the palace that conjoin Renaissance and Fascist imagery.

4 PM: Secret Garden

Relax in the “secret garden” of the palazzo before taking advantage of your ticket that includes access to the panoramic views of Rome offered by the elevator to the top of the Victor Emanuele Monument (last entry 6:45pm).

Diagrams serve as guides to the monuments spanning centuries that extend in every direction: to the south: the Forum, Colosseum, and beyond to St John Lateran; the imperial forums and the Quirinale palace to the east; straight ahead, the domed roof of the Pantheon and the northern entrance to the city at Piazza del Popolo; the square dome of the synagogue, Trastevere and the Janiculum hill to the west.

5 PM: Musei Capitolini

Take the side stairs from the Victor Emanuele Monument to the Piazza del Campidoglio, the center of the Musei Capitolini complex, the oldest public museum in the world (last entrance 6:30pm). Alongside the important bronze and marble works, you will find Greek, Etruscan, and Roman pottery, including the oldest complete signature of a Greek artist, Aristonothos (“best bastard”) dated to 650 BC.

^{18th-cent. Volpato biscuit - Musei Capitolini}

Terracotta architectural elements and sculptures are scattered around the oval exedra that houses the Marcus Aurelius bronze equestrian statue and several of the original donations of Pope Sixtus IV that constituted the foundation of the collection.

The last room of the Pinacoteca (picture gallery) on the first floor houses an extensive collection of Asian and European porcelains including Volpato’s works after the antique created for 18th-century Grand Tourists.

On your way to the Terrace cafe for a quick coffee or a Prosecco/Spritz don’t miss the reconstructed 2nd-century BC terracotta pediment.

TIP: A combination ticket includes the Centrale Montemartini, where antique statuary meets industrial archaeology in the first electrical plant in the city. Leave time to explore the Ostiense and Garbatella neighborhoods for street art and abundant restaurants.

^{terracotta architectural elements from the temple of San Omobono}

8 PM: Dinner

From the top of the Capitoline Hill, wind your way down to the via dei Fori imperiali. The walk offers vistas over the imperial forums and extensions. As you walk towards the Colosseum, note the Renaissance kiln in the Forum of Trajan on your left.

Halfway down, turn via Cavour and keep your eyes peeled for the outdoor seating area of the pizzeria Alle Carette, tucked in an alley on the left. After an appetizer of suppli (fried rice balls) and fiori di zucche (fried zucchini flowers) indulge yourself on a Roman thin-crust pizza. Walk off the carbohydrates by heading to the illuminated Colosseum nearby.

If you prefer a restaurant meal in the historical center, there is a range of economical and selective options for dining including wine bars (the oldest, Cul de Sac, or Enoteca Corsi), or restaurants such as Renato e Luisa, il Ditirambio, La Quercia. For old-fashioned Italian food head to Settimio al Pellegrino, Da Tonino behind Chiesa Nuova, or d’Augustarello in old Trastevere.

Open Baladin, where craft beers were introduced to Italy, is a good choice if you are dying for a hamburger. If you want a fun place to stop for a glass of wine before/after dinner (most restaurants open at 7:30 p.m. at the earliest), il Vinaietto offers an extensive list of wines by the glass at reasonable prices. Not much seating, so clients spill out into the street.

Day 2:

Museo Nazionale Romano

(5 museums in all, a combination ticket gives you access to 5 different museums in 7 days, check the website for possible closures for restoration)

^{Elisabetta Benassi "Empire" from above - Palazzo Altemps}

These museums open a bit later than most, so have a leisurely breakfast. Depending on where you are staying, opt for Caffè Greco (Spanish Steps), and Caffè Doria Pamphilji (the Corso). Our favorite is I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza (Campo dei Fiori) for Sicilian specialties and the plus is that there is no charge for seating.

Or if you are in Rome for the weekend, make a quick stop at the Mercato di Campagna Amica off Circus Maximus. This former’s market offers organic and local fares in a pleasant setting. From there you can walk back over Capitoline hill and down onto the via dei Fori Imperiali on your way to the first museum.

11 AM

The 2nd-century Roman bath complex of Diocletian (Terme di Diocleziano) has sections that focus on inscriptions and the early history and protohistory of Rome declined in terracotta ash urns in the form of vessels and huts. It includes a selection of terracotta votive sculptures, from body parts to 2/3 life-size seated females to larger-scaled busts of goddesses.

Make certain to visit the ancient halls of the bath filled with Roman sculptures and monuments and the cloister designed by Michelangelo.

12:30 PM: The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art)

You need to exit to visit the newest museum, founded in 2022.

The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art) has changing exhibitions of works exported illegally and then repatriated. Most recently, the terracotta Sirens and Orpheus returned by the Getty Museum were a star attraction.

1 PM: Lunch break

Check out the Mercato Centrale in the Roma Termini train station with an array of choices from pasta to burgers to pizza washed down with a range of beverages.

3:00 PM: Palazzo Massimo

PALAZZO MASSIMO is across the street from the station, dedicated to important marble and bronze sculptures from the Republican and Imperial ages. Contemporary frescoes and mosaics fill the top floors. No ceramics here but an alternative to the Crypta Balbi (see below).

Head back to piazza Venezia and then wind your way through back roads to the Crypta Balbi (currently closed for restoration (2023), on the site of an Augustan-period theater that became a center of trade and production from the 5th through 9th centuries.

Excavations here changed the history of Medieval Rome as demonstrated by a range of storage jars (amphorae), fine wares, and a chronology of glazed pottery from the 7^th through 18th centuries. The Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali also has a splendid collection of amphorae displayed by typology.

4:00 PM: Hungry again?

Head to Campo dei Fiori where you can find filled focaccia sandwiches at the Forno di Campo dei Fiori to savour while seated on one of the fountains in piazza Farnese or if you prefer air-conditioned tables, order made-to-order sandwiches at the Ancient Pizzicheria Ruggeri.

4:30: (last entrance at 5pm, closes at 6pm)

The walk to the site of the seats of the National Museum of Rome, Palazzo Altemps, will take you through piazza Navona. This museum’s focus is on private collections from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.

In addition to famous Greco-Roman works from the Ludovisi collection and others, the ‘encyclopedic’ archaeological collection of Evan Gorga is of interest for its terracotta architectural elements and pottery. Don’t miss the excavations on the ground floor with the display cases filled with maiolica pottery.

Pass by the Pantheon on your way back to your hotel. Two of the best coffee spots are nearby: Sant' Eustachio Il Caffè for espresso or cappuccino; La Casa del Caffè Tazza d'Oro for granita di caffè (sugared iced expresso plus whipped cream).

Or if you prefer gelato, try Fata Morgana (Campo dei Fiori), Corona (Largo Argentina), Gelateria al Teatro (piazza Navona)

8:00 PM:

The Jewish “Ghetto” is a perfect place to have a meal that transports you back to the origins of this community that considers itself the oldest in Europe. Tucked in a quiet piazza behind the main street of touristy restaurants, you will find Sora Margherita (reserve in advance). Try the “Carciofi alla Giudea” (fried artichoke) and pasta with ‘cacio pepe e ricotta’ (pecorino, black pepper, and ricotta). Their ricotta and visciola (sour cherry) cake is to die for (or do take away from Boccione in the main square.

Day 3:

From the origins of Rome to the 21^st century

8:30 AM: Breakfast

Get in the mood with a quick coffee or leisurely breakfast at the Caffè Tadolini Canova, just past the Spanish Steps via del Babuino.

In January 1818, Antonio Canova (at the height of his European fame) signed a contract for property destined solely for the practice of sculpture for his favorite pupil Adamo Tadolino. This caffè in the former sculpture workshop still houses the plaster working models of this neo-classical sculptor. From there, walk through the Villa Borghese Gardens to the Villa Giulia.

^{entrance of Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia}

9:30 AM: MUSEO NAZIONALE ETRUSCO DI VILLA GIULIA

The countryside villa of the Renaissance Pope Julius III houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia Villa which contains pre-Roman finds from throughout the Latium, southern Etruria, and Umbria.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 2 to 7 PM, with the exception of the first Sundays of the month and holidays, you can also visit the Villa Poniatowski nearby with important works repatriated to Italy.

On the ground floor of the Villa Giulia, the focus is on grave goods of the Villanovan and Etruscan periods with an abundance of terracotta pottery and ash urns, imported Near Eastern and Greek pottery and Etruscan bucchero ware. Wealthy Etruscans re-created Greek culture, filling their tombs with all the accoutrements of the Greek symposium: imported Greek vases take their place beside bronze vessels, armour and local wares.

A highlight is the terracotta “Sarcophagi of the Spouses” with the couple reclining on a kline (the bed used for dining). The Greeks would have been shocked by the inclusion of a woman in what was traditionally a male domain in the Greek world. Other sections are dedicated to the chronology of Greek vase paintings, inscriptions, and an extraordinary collection of architectural terracotta sculptures, including the 6^th century BC statues of Apollo and Herakles from the sanctuary at Veii.

^{Sarcophagi of the Spouses - Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia}

12 PM

Have a light lunch at the Ristorante & Caffetteria Belle Arti 1938 (in the tennis club) near the Villa Poniatowski or head straight to the caffè of the Galleria d’arte Moderna which is your next destination.

1:30 PM: Galleria d’arte Moderna

Founded just after the unification of Italy (Rome became the capital in 1871), the museum has been situated in the Valle Giulia since the early 1900s as the repository of modern and contemporary art of the time.

The display of the works, presented chronologically in a traditional museological fashion, was transformed in 2016 by a new conception of the museum which juxtaposes works from diverse periods linked by a common theme.

In “Time is Out of Joint,” Fontana and Canova share the same room; neo-classical sculptures rub shoulders with paintings of various centuries; other rooms focus on modern art movements. Look out for the ceramic works of Leoncillo and Arturo Martini.

^{Arturo Martini - Le Stelle}

5 PM: MAXXI MUSEO NAZIONALE DELLE ARTI DEL XXI SECOLO

The last stop today transports you from the neo-classical period to the 21^st century. The MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, designed by Zaha Hadid, opened to the public in 2010. A small permanent collection is enhanced by a broad array of more than a dozen temporary exhibitions.

Currently, the show of Italian transavanguardia artist Enzo Cucchi includes a selection of important ceramic works.

8 PM: Enjoy a glass of wine

After a rest in your hotel, Il Tiberino on Tiber Island is the perfect place to enjoy the views of Rome by night (book a table outside) accompanied by traditional Roman fare and fine wines.

To explore more galleries, museums, design stores, and other destinations in Rome and the rest of Italy, go to the Ceramic World Destination Map!

Lori-Ann Touchette

Lori-Ann Touchette is a classical archaeologist and art historian with degrees from Brown, Princeton, and Oxford Universities. She is the author and editor of articles and books on Greco-Roman art and 18th-century Grand Tour. She has also contributed articles to Ceramics: Art & Perception, Ceramics Technical, and Ceramics Ireland. In 2012, she co-founded CRETA Rome with the Italian artist Paolo Porelli.

Want to see our next ceramic guide to a city? Istanbul, Seoul, and Brooklyn + Queens are next on our list!

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Terra Sigillata (Re)imagined with Shamai Gibsh

Shamai Sam Gibsh is an expert ceramicist, teacher, and owner of a ceramic studio in Jaffa, Israel. He has exhibited in the United States, Israel, and London and teaches workshops worldwide. Gibsh recently published his book titled “Terra Sigillata: Smoke, Fire & Clay,” which explores the history, chemistry, and various methods of using and firing terra sigillata–an ancient technique where a thin coat of clay slip acts as a glaze to produce a beautiful idiosyncratic effect. MoCA/NY’s writer Ilsy Jeon speaks with Gibsh about his inspired research that has already sparked great interest and enthusiasm.

ILSY JEON (IJ): Congratulations on publishing this educational book! I was impressed by how much you’ve explored and excelled at using terra sigillata (TS) in your works and how knowledgeable you are about it. Before discussing the book, can you explain to our readers what terra sigillata is?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: Terra Sigillata, meaning sealed (stamped) clay, is a very fine clay particle slip that was originally used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to seal, stamp, and decorate vessels and artifacts. Using TS involves the process of making TS, as well as its application on clay objects. Preparing TS is achieved by collecting the smallest particles (platelets) of clay, resulting in a mixture of suspended particles that do not settle, like whipped cream. TS, which can be made of any clay, from wild clay collected in nature, as well as from industrially processed clay, is classified into two categories according to the sintering temperature: low temperature like earthenware clay, and high temperature like stoneware or ball clay.

Applying TS to a bone-dry surface is usually performed by brushing, spraying, as well as dipping, or even pouring it over the surface. The fine platelets set according to their electric charge when burnished with a cloth, resulting in a smooth and unique shiny surface.

IJ: The book includes wonderful images of your artwork and the diverse ways you’ve sculpted, decorated, and fired your terra sigillata pieces. You go in-depth and provide directions on techniques like sgraffito, cracked effects, and luster. You also include numerous illustrations, recipes, and in-progress images. How long have you been working with this medium and what about TS made you spend much of your career studying, using, and perfecting it?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: Terra sigillata has been my fascination starting early in my career. Being intrigued by the effects of TS when first exposed to it in museums exhibiting ancient Greek and Roman ceramics, I investigated it and found out that TS can be made on my own by collecting clay in nature worldwide. Unlike glazes, TS represents a natural way of covering and decorating clay artifacts. Using this ancient technique, and expanding it with dozens of TS preparations, made of different clays collected worldwide, enabled me to bring the world into my work and to create an impressive palette of hues, which enriched the surfaces of my work.

IJ: All your experimentations, workshops, and historical research using terra sigillata have led you to become an expert and share your knowledge with the ceramic community. What was your approach in writing this book? Were there any surprises about TS that you weren’t aware of?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: I believe that it is very important to share knowledge, skills, and expertise. Throughout my career, I realized that many of my colleagues possess vast, sometimes unique, knowledge; however, some of this experience and knowledge had been lost since it was generally not shared and was never published. This, in fact, was the main motivation to write this book. While undertaking this commitment I was compelled to evaluate and reevaluate my own work and ponder on new ways of addressing terra sigillata; thus, a novel idea of shortening the process of making TS emerged as described in the book.

IJ: Terra Sigillata: Smoke, Fire & Clay is so informative - it’s almost like taking a course in terra sigillata as you provide significant historical, cultural, and scientific context about the medium and how best to incorporate it into one's practice. Can you elaborate on your historical research for this book and how significant it was to include this context?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: I have been working and researching alternative firing techniques for many years and was very privileged to have met many wonderful ceramic artists over the years who shared their knowledge with me while actually, encouraging me to continue researching and developing new ways of looking and addressing the ceramic world. One example of such a master is Allan Cagier Smith whom I was very fortunate to have met at the Harvard ceramic program many years ago, assist him, and learn from him the way he employed luster. So, in essence, my book summarizes both my experience and the ongoing research.

IJ: Your book covers all facets of terra sigillata and includes chapters on how to build and fire smoke, pit, and raku kilns and step-by-step guides and tutorials on how to incorporate various decorative techniques like horsehair, milk and egg, and obvara.

How do these techniques affect TS and what was your decision in choosing these particular topics? Were there any chapters you wanted to include but couldn’t due to limitations?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: It was obvious for me to include some of my research on the origin of TS and Greek/Roman firing techniques. Organizing the book required several chapters, starting with terra sigillata. This was followed by instructions for building the kilns which serve most of the needed firing for all other chapters. These included TS layering techniques, saggar and other firing techniques, such as pit firing, raku, naked raku, horsehair raku, milk & egg decorating & firing, obvara, and finally Greek & Roman TS and Luster.

For me, all these are considered alternative firing techniques. Naturally, there are other “Blackening” techniques that were not included in this book and wait their turn in a future continuing project.

This book is not only geared toward those first encountering clay but also for artists who have decades of experience with ceramics. Was it a challenge to cater to both the novice and expert and what do you hope readers gain from reading your book?

IJ: This book is not only geared toward those first encountering clay but also for artists who have decades of experience with ceramics. Was it a challenge to cater to both the novice and expert and what do you hope readers gain from reading your book?

SHAMAI SAM GIBSH: Indeed, the challenge was to reconcile my wish to incorporate as many details and instructions aimed towards new ceramic artists, while keeping the more experienced readers interested. I believe that my efforts were fruitful, as they were rewarded with many positive reviews from both novice and experienced artists. As to what I hope the readers gain from my book: first to share their knowledge for the purpose of preservation; second, to open one’s mind, research and dare to experiment with unorthodox ideas and practices; and finally, maybe the most important of all, explore what you like and enjoy it to your utmost ability.

Ceramic Guide - Rome

In this edition of 36 Hours, we give tips to key ceramic destinations in Rome. Rome has more than 120 museums and over 200 galleries so there’s an abundance of choice. Make sure to check the Ceramic World Destinations Map for more destinations in the city!

This list is based on Lori-Ann Touchette's experience living as an expat in the city for the past twenty-five years. Touchette is the Co-founder and Director of CRETA Rome.