Cafaggiolo

Description

In the municipality of Barberino Di Mugello there is an important Medici Villa. Attached to the villa were several rooms, including an ancient brick kiln. This was entrusted to the brothers Stefano and Piero di Filippo Schiavon, from Montelupo. The first written records of pottery production at Cafaggiolo are from 1498. Soon the villa's majolica became famous and production became intense. Initially objects were created for celebrations or furnishings at the behest of royalty, but over time the quality declined to products for common use. By the early seventeenth century the kiln had disappeared for reasons that are not entirely clear, however. The ceramics from Cafaggiolo are characterized by a capital and intertwined S and P. The signature probably refers to the founding potters, but some believe it may be a contraction of "Semper," the famous motto of the Medici Family.