i got these beautiful clay mugs on a street market in lucca, in april last year. they are hand-made and are the product of an italian ceramic factory rossoramina.
aside of mugs, rossoramina’s products include artistic collections for table dressing, furnishing and lighting. their aim is to give to the everyday products a functional value together with a poetic touch (for more information, refer to their website: http://www.rossoramina.com/it)
instead of more common souvenirs, i prefer buying objects like these mugs. i can usually make good use out of them and at the same time they remind me of the town i bought them in. i’m thinking of lucca when i’m drinking my coffee; lovely little town in tuscany, known for its etruscian origins, roman amphitheatre and medieval walls.
in the center of medieval lucca, one may start with duomo di san martino, the cathedral of lucca. its building began in the 11th century, while its nave and transepts were rebuilt in gothic style in 16th century. however, its particular beauty lies in its facade, and the fact that all the columns are different. according to legend, when the cathedral was to be finished and decorated, the inhabitants of lucca announced a contest for the best column. every artist made a column, but then the inhabitants of lucca decided to take them all, without paying the artists and used all the columns.
the walls around the old town remained intact as the city expanded and modernized. even though they lost their military importance, they became a pedestrian promenade which encircles the old town, although they were used for a number of years in the 20th century for racing cars.
when having a walk on the walls of luca, one may notice palazzo pfanner, owned by felix pfanner (1818-1892), a local brewer from hörbranz (austria). With its lawns, its flowers, forest plants and statues, the palazzo pfanner garden represents an excellent example of a baroque garden laid out in the heart of medieval lucca.
at the end, i owe a huge “grazie” to my friend cecilia, who not only introduced me to rossoramina’s product, but who was also our guide in her hometown of lucca!
on the importance of small things 