Do not leave Civita Castellana without buying some wonderful local pottery. The art, history and culture of this corner of the region all come together in a precious plate, an original ashtray or a colourful vase. This is the art of ceramics, a serious business in Tuscia. In fact, the origins of pottery-making can be traced back to the Etruscan people, whose teachings, even today after centuries, are still very highly regarded.
The artistic ceramics of Tuscia are protected by a strict specification by the Chamber of Commerce of Viterbo and are characterized by clays fired at different temperatures and worked at least 60% by hand in workshops that have the permission to use the Tuscia Viterbo trademark.
There are two types of ceramics: traditional and innovative.
In the first case the objects have forms or decorations that evoke the historical standards of the Viterbo ceramic production, as can be seen in the museum of the province of Viterbo.
The innovative ceramic art, on the other hand, have a style, shape and technique that represent the natural evolution of a uniquely artisan production known for originality and creativity.
In addition to pottery, base metals are also processed. These were also highly characteristic of the area already in the Etruscan period.
Today’s metal works are almost completely industrialized, except for small businesses located in the municipalities of the province and that are the size of workshops.
In the province of Viterbo there are also towns famous for woodwork such as Bagnoregio, Corchiano and Lubriano, while Sutri is known for its many furniture restoration workshops.