A bouquet of ceramic lemons hangs on a wall in the Kasbah of the Sicilian town of Mazara del Vallo.
Curious, I turn the corner and spot a woman in a white coat standing in front of a shop. In the distance, I mistake her for a chef or a cook on a short break from a busy kitchen.
As I approach, her welcome echoes that of the residents of this quiet town. Warm, inviting, and quintessentially Sicilian.
Inside the shop, I admire the fine pottery in Sicilian Baroque and Arabic elements. Intricate patterns are weaved on ornate urns and vases. Elegant figurines are dressed in traditional garb. Large ornamental plates in mosaic patterns and motifs adorn the walls.
This is clearly the work of an artist.
I could decorate an entire room with such pieces to remind me of the Mediterranean sun. Eventually, I settle on two plates that carry Sicily’s emblem, the Trinacria.
“E fatto a mano?” With my limited Italian, I ask if the pieces are handmade.
Rosa Signorello beams at my question and asks me to follow her. She leads the way to the back of the shop and offers me a tour of her workroom. She demonstrates the various tools and materials, explaining the process from start to finish. I am delighted at the opportunity to see this artist’s studio.
Passion and art dissolve the language barrier.
The ceramic plates I bought as a souvenir bear her autograph on the back. At home, a small part of Sicily hangs on a wall. It carries with it the heart of its people.
Rosa Signorello
Rosa Signorello Ceramiche
Piazza S. Veneranda
91026 Mazara del Vallo
Sicily Italy
There’s nothing better than being invited behind the scenes! 🙂
In any language 🙂
Wow, such beautiful creations. 🙂 Those lemons on the wall make me smile. 🙂
They’re lovely to have them hanging on a balcony or courtyard 🙂
Oh, just loved this post. We’ve wanted to go to Sicily for an absolute age. I always try to bring a little souvenir back from wherever we go and we’re suckers for a bit of pottery! 🙂
Julia
We had the best time in Sicily and it totally blew me away. You’d love it!
I know Signorello Ceramiche. Infact, I know the town of Mazara. My family is from there and I lived there before. i know every street of that town. I am, however, curios about that lemon bouquet. Can you tell me in what street it is? By the way the photographs you took of the Kasba happens to be the neighbourhood I grew up in.
Hi Samila and what a lovely surprise! My relatives live in that part of the Kasbah and I have yet to post more stories and photos of the narrow little streets that wind through it.
The lemons were along the same street as Signorello Ceramiche near Piazza S. Veneranda – not sure of the exact name. If I can find it by looking through my photos, I’ll update this comment.
Hi Corinne, Sarmila here again (Patrizia is my birth name). I was in Mazara this summer and came back to the States two weeks ago. I saw the locality. It is in Via Itria, between Via Garibaldi and piazza S. Veneranda, the shop is at the corner of Piazza S. Veneranda. Signora Signorello happens to be the middle school teacher of my cousin whom I had the chance to see inside the ceramic shop with. Now she has a big sign up made in ceramic of course: it is a giant sun.
A giant sun would be perfect! I would love to see it.
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I just spent the week learning Sicilian ceramic painting from Rosa. She is delightful and THE BEST artist of her craft in Sicily, and even better than any in Deruta! My cousins arranged my short internship. Her ceramics are not just souvenirs, but works of art. They are throughout Mazara, in the new pedestrian walk leading to the Roman castle ruin, as well as in the Kasbah. I have dozens of photos of her new work, if you would like them to update your posting. Looking forward to another visit there soon. Blessings from the USA to the beloved land of my beloved grandparents, Diana Feb2013