3243 Deruta - ceramics

Deruta, south of Perugia is famous for ceramics, and there are literally hectares of marketing space devoted to all sorts of glazed ceramics. The centro storico of Deruta has a comprehensive museum of ceramics, and many particular shops selling antique and modern work. [url]http://www.sangallo.it/umbria/ceramicait.html[/url] talks about Deruta and the ceramics. Probably the largest company making ceramics is Grazia, slightly north of the centre of Deruta, where you can see a vast selection of wares, and factory visits are possible. (I can't track down their website!)
For the definitive terra cotta (unglazed) you should drive a litle further south to Ripabianca.
Just south of Deruta (about 3km) is the votive Church of Madonna dei Bagni (signposted). This is certainly visitable on Sundays. It is quite spectacular - these votive churches, always dedicated to the Madonna, are where the faithful make offerings to thank Our Lady for having protected the family from some accident or disaster. In the case of the Deruta Church, all of the offerings are in the form of painted ceramic plates, and date from the 1500s (generally at this time people had survived falls from olive trees and the like), into the 1940s where war planes are depicted crashing into the sea, and more recently where motorcycles or fast cars are dramatically rendered after major road accidents.
I hesitate to call it social history on a plate.....