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- nature, clay, clay colors, natural clay, inspiration
Our Territory as Inspiration
The Spontaneous Beauty of Nature in the Clays of the Emilian Hills.
Nature: The Inspiration Behind Eco Ceramica
At Eco Ceramica, we firmly believe that true beauty lies in the harmony between unique and unrepeatable elements, just like what we find in nature. Every element, from the most delicate to the most imposing, contributes to a perfect balance, a kaleidoscope of colors and forms that has always inspired us in creating our handcrafted ceramics.
The colors, textures, and sensations we strive to capture in each piece are those of our land, transforming natural inspiration into works of art that bring the beauty of the outside world into your homes. Every product we make isn't just an object; it's a fragment of nature reinvented by our skilled hands, a tribute to its infinite and wonderful diversity.
The Emilian Calanchi: The Origin of Italian Ceramic Excellence
But where does the raw material that inspires and breathes life into our creations come from?
It all begins with clay, an extraordinary material that, in Italy, particularly in the Emilian territory, finds expression in the striking formations of the calanchi.
The calanchi are hilly landscapes characterized by deep incisions and sharp ridges, the result of millennia of erosion by water and wind on clayey soils. Imagine true natural sculptures, shaped by the elements. The clay that composes them is the fruit of a very long geological process: it forms from the disintegration and alteration of pre-existing rocks, transported and deposited over time by ancient watercourses and marine basins. The Variegated Clays of our territory, particularly those in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, are what remain of sediments deposited on an ancient ocean floor over 3 km deep during the Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago).
Our calanchi are true explosions of color: the clay formations range from brick red to wine red, to light and dark gray, and greenish-gray. The colors are typically distributed in orderly bands or unevenly, forming natural patterns that are already true works of art.
This calanchi clay is particularly prized. It's a clay with unique characteristics, rich in minerals that give it the ideal malleability and resistance for ceramic processing. This is the clay that we skillfully transform into our ceramics, a material that carries with it the geological history and the richness of our landscape.
The Sassuolo-Fiorano-Casalgrande Ceramic District: History and Transformation
The presence of these precious clay resources is no isolated case. It was precisely the availability of high-quality raw materials that led to the birth and prosperity of what is now known as the Sassuolo-Fiorano-Casalgrande ceramic district, an Italian excellence recognized worldwide.
The Sassuolo ceramic district is an important Italian production hub; it originated in the mid-18th century from an artisan tradition for majolica production, developed precisely thanks to the easy availability of raw material, consisting of red clay.
The first true quarries in the Apennines developed starting in the 1950s, reaching peak production between the 1970s and 1980s, providing the clay needed for the large-scale production of tiles and sanitary ware. However, with advancing technologies and market evolution, needs changed. Many of these quarries were gradually decommissioned over the years.
What we observe today is a complex landscape in which elements of natural beauty and remarkable environmental interest coexist with a historical-cultural heritage of human origin.
Eco Ceramica: Tradition and Quality Made in Italy
At Eco Ceramica, we are proud to carry on this ceramic tradition, but with an eye towards the future. That's why, while valuing the history and resources of our territory, we have chosen to continue to source our raw materials exclusively from Italian suppliers.
Specifically, our clays come from the Italian Apennine regions. This choice is not accidental: it allows us to have total control over the quality of the materials, guaranteeing the excellence and sustainability of every single product. It's a commitment to valuing "Made in Italy," a symbol of craftsmanship, care, and respect for the environment around us. With Eco Ceramica, you're not just bringing home a piece of ceramic; you're bringing home an authentic fragment of our land and our passion.