Clay, Water, Air and Fire ...a trip through the terracotta of Impruneta

La fornace di terrecotte Poggi Ugo rappresenta un punto di riferimento della produzione di eccellenza delle famose terrecotte di Impruneta. La lavorazione è eseguita a mano con le tecniche tradizionali, i prodotti realizzati offrono una gamma ampia con stili antichi, riproduzioni artistiche, modelli caratteristici del ‘900 e modelli contemporanei. Rispettando le antiche tradizioni i titolari Antonella e Lorenzo Andrei, nipoti di Poggi Ugo, guardano decisi al futuro e anticipano linee e forme che rappresentano al meglio i gusti di domani. La voglia di migliorarsi ha portato a collaborare con designers, studi di architettura, artisti, scultori per avvicinare sempre più artigianato e arte. L’azienda è strutturata per soddisfare da produzioni singole, fino a centinaia di pezzi per articolo. 

Tutte le terrecotte sono resistenti al gelo a oltre -30°C e al salmastro per lunghi periodi.
La ricerca della perfezione in tutto il lavoro svolto fanno si che le Terrecotte Poggi Ugo vengano considerate come punto di riferimento e di esempio, e produttori tra le migliori terrecotte del mondo.

The Ricceri family had been involved in the working of terracotta since the 18th century, but it was mainly in the 20th century that the furnace developed, thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of Giuseppe Ricceri, who, having discovered a deposit of refractory clays in the area of Santa Fiora sull'Amiata, founded a kiln there. 

With his two sons Giacinto and Raffaello, the Impruneta furnace specialized in large pots for the cultivation of plants and became an official supplier to the Vatican, which used them for its gardens. Then, in the Fifties, Raffaello built his own factory for the production of small decorative objects, not only in terracotta, but also in majolica.

Today Raffaello's son, Sergio Ricceri, carries on, in addition to normal production, constant experimentation, both on materials - such as terracotta, but also buccheri or majolica, in fact - and above all on finishes, perfecting antifreeze enamels, craquelé or variously antique effects, which give a lasting patina to the different types of ceramics.

The Masini Family are an important presence in the production of terracottas at Impruneta.

Ottavio and Livio Masini started their activity in 1934 at the old Agresti Furnace of Impruneta.
Since then the Masini Family has worked the traditional terracotta offering high quality products. 
One year later another brother, Bruno, joined in the business and in 1939 he took the ancient Vanni Furnace dating back to 1681. Together with Bruno worked his son Osvaldo.

At that time the production of terracotta was mainly focused on building materials such as tiles for roofing, floor and building bricks. However, the furnace produced already a fair number of vases, flowerpots and jars (enamelled inside to contain oil and wine) which were fired in the ancient 19th century wood-fired ovens, which still exist today although not in activity.

In the immediate post-war period, as a consequence of reconstruction, production was focused on building material and sewerage pipes

At the end of the 60's, according to the new and different market requests coming from foreign countries, the Masini furnace decided to move a large part of its production to garden products, vases, flower boxes, jars, built according to the designs of the ancient Vanni models, jealously guarded

When Bruno died his son Osvaldo boosts the Furnace and keeps on worlking with his wife Carla and some experts. His son Marco starts working at the Furnace when he is only 22 years old. .

Soon Masini terracottas are starting to be in demand all over the world: first in Europe, especially in Germany, France, Belgium, and UK, but also in the USA, Japan, Australia and the Emirates. 

Since 2014, the fourth generation has also appeared with Costanza.

Since 2017 the production is protected by the trade mark CAT (Artistic and Traditional Ceramics) which guarantees the very high level of every single item in which the irreplaceable touch of the craftsman and the living strength of the tradition will remain in the future.
The trademark also certifies the exclusive use of the earth of Impruneta, the processing methods, according to the specifications.

Currently the company has over 1000 models of terracotta products of various sizes and types ranging from classic to  modern: jars, basins, boxes, statues, vases and many other garden furniture, all made according to the ancient dictates of tradition and entirely by hand.

Unique objects of exceptional beauty and great resistance to adverse weather conditions, especially frost and more extreme temperatures such as -25 degrees.

One place in Impruneta testifies more than others the traditional working of terracotta and is the Agresti Furnace.
Its importance derives not only from the historical value of the building complex that composes it, which dates back to the eighteenth century, but also for having preserved tools, moulds, models, shapes that were used until a few decades ago, when it was still in activity.
The Furnace today is the place where Impruneta cotto or terracotta is celebrated: besides being a documentation centre it hosts concerts, exhibitions and tastings.

After a decade of experience in the production of artistic and decorative items, Artenova Furnace decided to respond to a clear drop in market demand and after a long experimentation phase started to use the precious clay of Impruneta for the production of large terracotta jars for wine making.

The new course of the company, thanks also to the valuable interdisciplinary collaboration of various experts, has confirmed its immediate international success.
Today Artenova produces as its core business jars for wine and counts among its customers, in addition to numerous Italian companies, wine producers from all over the world.

The founder of this furnace family was Anselmo Mariani, with a furnace at Ferrone (end of the 19th century early 20th century) and then with the most famous one at Impruneta, purchased by another historical family in this sector, the Scacciati.

The original production of building materials was soon followed by the production of handmade artistic terracottas, whose specialization was carried out by their sons Angiolo and Armeno Mariani.
Today the Impruneta company Mital produces not only artistic objects but also traditional handmade materials of the classic Impruneta terracotta used in the construction of residences and villas.

In addition, it produces a wide range of products in Impruneta terracotta for interior and garden furnishings: basins, vases, jars, gardeners, dumpsters and flower boxes. With an additional specialization, particularly appreciated and appreciated by a vast clientele spread all over the world: that of figures and statues of various sizes. 
A centenary presence for an ancient work inserted in the centuries-old history of Impruneta and its precious terracotta.

Massimo Carbone's furnace produces according to traditional techniques and strictly by hand wine jars using exclusively the certified Impruneta clay, unique in the world for its frost resistance and perfect for oenological use as it is insulating and inert.

Together with oenologists of great skill and sensitivity, the furnace has perfected the classic Etruscan amphora, producing jars and amphorae characterized, among other things, by the manhole completely in terracotta that allows the elimination of steel or resin elements.

n order to overcome the problem of the natural porosity of the terracotta, which would allow an excessive exchange of oxygen with the outside, Massimo Carbone creates a multilayer internal covering always in terracotta but worked with peculiar techniques. The inside of the amphorae thus does not require further treatments such as glazing, polishing with wax and is in any case easy to sanitize with water washing.

Since ancient times, terracotta has been used to create objects and artefacts for the use and furnishing of rooms and gardens.
The clay of Impruneta has always been synonymous with quality and resistance; still worked with ancient systems, cooked at high temperature, with excellent resistance to frost.
With this clay still today are produced objects that over time increase more and more their charm. The irregular shapes and decorations, never perfectly the same, are the result of a rigorously manual processing that involves variations in size and weight of the product, making each one of them unique.

The many qualities of shapes and subjects and the beautiful pink color, allow to enrich with imagination the rooms, making them characteristic and welcoming as only the terracotta of Impruneta can do.