Civic Collection of Renaissance Ceramics

The museum is housed in the main tower of the Rocca di Camporgiano. The origin of this monumental rocca is Medieval; in 1446 it passed from the Malaspina family to the Dukes of Este who gave it its present day form. The collection is displayed on the two floors of the main tower; it contains Renaissance terracotta and ceramics from excavations on the territory.
The ceramics come more precisely from two waste pits, so called "pozzi da butto" "G", that were emptied during restoration works. These pits or wells had been excavated in the space left between a portion of the XIV^th century curtain wall and the defensive walls built later by the Dukes of Este. A small part instead was found at Nicciano (Municipality of Piazza al Serchio).
The collection of ceramics represents nearly three centuries of history, from the beginning of the XV^th to the second half of the XVII^th and includes majolica ware, jugs, bowls and basins with so called "graffito" decorations. The Museum was again opened on the 26^th September 1999 equipped with new and better fittings.