Guided tours

The ceramics of Montelupo

History and development of Medieval and Renaissance Majolica

Course A
Visit of the Museo della Ceramica: the production of Majolica in Montelupo from XIII to XVIII centuries.

Visit of an ancient furnace: ceramic working methods from the pre industrial period.

Course B
Added to the course A visits is the viewing, in the Museum’s multi media room, of a film on the productive techniques of Renaissance ceramic.

Duration:  A 1h A -B 2h
People: max 25
Price: A € 35,00 - B € 50.00

Masters of ceramics

Secrets of the master lathers, an ancient art which persists through the centuries.

During the visit to the Museo della Ceramica the production of this famous centre of Renaissance Majolica will be demonstrated with particular attention to productive technology.

Inside this famous furnace a ceramics master will create objects with an antique lathe, offering the visitors the possibility to experiment themselves with clay manipulation.

Duration:  2h
People: max 25
Price: € 75,00

Art Secrets

Guided visit to the museum and to a modern manufacturer of ceramics.

Beginning with the origin of ceramic production, this course permits the students to study the productive activity of today analysing the developments and points of contact with tradition.

It begins with the visit of the Ceramics Museum of Montelupo where the historic matters of this important centre of production in pre industrial Europe are discussed.

From the Museum we move on to a modern ceramics museum where we verify the continuity and the different techniques, stylistic and organizational, between the past and the present.

Duration:  2h 30'
People: max 25
Price: € 75,00 (+ museum ticket)

Secrets of a Medieval village

The course forsees a visit of the historical centre of Montelupo during which it will be possible to learn the history of this the small village founded in 1203; we will then visit the ancient priory of San Lorenzo which occupies part of the summit where the original Medieval fort was established.

The itinerary concludes with a visit of the Museo della Ceramica where it is possible to learn the extraordinay history of Montelupo ceramics through the centuries with particular attention given to the Renaissance epoch when Montelupo was the biggest ceramics “factory” in Florence.

Duration:  2h 30'
People: max 25
Price: € 75,00 (+ museum ticket)

Ceramics in furnishing and on the dinner table in the past

This course takes place inside the Montelupo Museo di Ceramica and the students will have the opportunity to re construct, using images from the different periods and analysis of the exhibited ceramics, the diverse ways of laying a meal table and from the Medieval to the Renaissance periods.

Passing through the farmer’s poor meal to the rich city nobleman’s feast, we can delve into the various aspects that link the traditional alimentary habits to the social, economic and cultural conditions.

Duration:  1h
People: max 25
Price: € 35,00 (+ museum ticket)

Ceramics – yesterday and today

This didactic course includes a visit to the Montelupo Museo della Ceramica and a guided visit to the Museo Artistico Industriale Bitossi which presents a selection of the principle ceramic products of produced in Montelupo in the second half of 1800.

In this way we will have the opportunity to reconstruct a course which spreads over 6 centuries starting from the XIV century up to today.

We will affront the transformations endured by ceramic operations through the long course passage from Medieval artisan workmanship to contemporary design.

Duration:  1h
People: max 25
Price: € 35,00 (+ museum ticket)

Discovering Montelupo:
history and culture in a Medieval village

Guided visits in English.
The programme can be designed to fit the client’s interests based on the following choices:

A. Guided visit of the Museo di Ceramica and an ancient furnace (1h, euro 50,00);

B. Visit of the Museo di Ceramica, an ancient furnace and a demonstration of a ceramics master (2h, euro 85,00);

C. Visit to the historical centre of Montelupo and of the Museo di Ceramica and an ancient furnace (2h, euro 95,00);

Lunch: euro 20,00 (cost per person, drinks not included);

D. Visit of a local manufacturer and the possibility to do some shopping.