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Caltagirone trip planner
A ceramics capital in the center of Sicily
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Caltagirone Guide
Intro
Sights
Shopping
Hotels
PlanningCaltagirone (from the Arabic for "castle-cave") was founded in the Bronze Age on a trio of hilltops, giving the medieval city a intricate street plan today lined by baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, many studded and decorated with painted ceramics and tiles.
They've been making pots in Caltagirone for 4,000 years, but it was with the Arab conquest in the 9th century that the ceramics industry really picked up and the local craftsmen refined their majolica art.
Today the little city thrives on the tourists and collectors who visit its some 130 ceramics studios and showrooms, and it is home to Sicily's regional ceramics museum.
The sights of Caltagirone
Sightseeing Caltagirone's showcase is the 
Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, 142 steps inlaid with colorful ceramic tiles. The stairs were built in 1606, but the idea to plate the risers with majolica didn't come until 1954. Each stair represents a common pattern from each decade, starting with the 10th century. Lots of structures around town incorporate ceramics, giving the city a singularly colorful fabric. The best include the bridge of San Francesco (1666), the balcony on Via Roma just past Via San Pietro (1700s), and the facade of San Pietro (1856), studded with rows of tiny blue ceramic pyramids.
The Museo Regionale della Ceramica, off Via Roma in the Parco Pubblico (tel. 0933-21-680), traces the development of ceramics in Sicily from the Neolithic era (2000 BC) and the Greeks through 20th-century workshops, with of course a special concentration on Caltagirone production. Especially good are the collections of 17th- and 18th-century anthropomorphic head vases, and the delicate peasant figurine scenes of 19th-century master Bongiovanni, his protégé Vaccaro, and their workshop—groupings that look like they stepped out of a Renaissance Flemish painting. It's open daily 9am to 7pm. (Adm)
Ceramics shopping in Caltagirone
The often intricate patterns and calliope of colors (blue, green, and yellow being most traditional) hint at the early Moorish stamp on the local style. Caltagirone traditionally specializes in plates, tableware, large anthropomorphic vases, and detailed peasant figurines.
The Mostra Permanente della Ceramica, off Piazza Municipio at Corso V. Emanuele 7–9 (tel. 0933-56-444), is a huge central showroom displaying wares from about 1/3 of the top artisan shops in town. It's good for determining which studios you may want to visit personally, but the prices are steep.
A similar outfit with considerably lower prices is Con.ar.ce, Via Roma 3–5 (tel. 0933-56-967), another artisans' consortium. The selection is more hit-or-miss—mainly irregulars or studio overstock—but dig around enough and you can find some great gems.
If you prefer visiting a single studio, the work of Maurizio Patrì, with a bottega at Via Grazia 14–31 and a showroom at Via Roma 17 (tel. 0933-26-850), is very expensive, but worth it. He makes some of the highest-quality, most artistic, and downright prettiest ceramics in town, and still practices the dying art of crafting terra-cotta figurines.
On a budget, CEAR Via P. Amadeo 14–16 (tel. 0933-26-786) does pleasingly simple patterns and pictures and has the best prices in town—still quality artisan work, just a tad more mass-produced.
Hotels in Caltagirone
» More hotels in Caltagirone (from €84)
» B&Bs in Caltagirone (from €40)
» Townhouse Suites in Caltagirone (from €70)
Planning a trip
- How to get to Caltagirone:
- How to get to Caltagirone by Car: Caltagirone is 33km (20 miles) southeast of Piazza Armerina, 114km (71 miles) east of Agrigento, 60km (37 miles) north of Ragusa, 90km (56 miles) northwest of Noto, and 100km (62 miles) west-northwest of Siracusa.
From Piazza Armerina, take the SS117bis south to S124. From Agrigento, take the coastal SS115 to Gela, then the SS117bis north to diverge onto the SS417 toward Catania.
Try to park along Via Roma at the point where the high wall of the public gardens is on your left, before metered parking starts. - How to get to Caltagirone by Train: From Agrigento, take one of 4 daily (none Sunday) SAL buses to Gela (90 min.), from which there are 9 trains (3 Sunday) to Caltagirone (45 min.). From Siracusa, there are 4–5 trains to Gela, where you make the transfer as described above (4 hr. total). There are also 11 trains (4 on Sunday) from Catania (2 hr.).
- How to get to Caltagirone by Bus: SAIS runs most buses here, including 2 runs (none Sunday) from Piazza Armerina (1 hr.); and 3 runs (none Sunday) from Catania (65 min.). From Siracusa AST buses (tel. +39-0931-462-711 or 0931-464-820, www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it) run just one bus (non on Sunday) in summer, leaving from Via Riva della Poste at 6:55am (3 hrs.).
- How to get to Caltagirone by Car: Caltagirone is 33km (20 miles) southeast of Piazza Armerina, 114km (71 miles) east of Agrigento, 60km (37 miles) north of Ragusa, 90km (56 miles) northwest of Noto, and 100km (62 miles) west-northwest of Siracusa.
- Visitor Information: The tourist office, upstairs in the Palazzo Libertini di S. Marco on Piazza Umberto (tel. 0933-53-809), is open June to October Monday to Saturday 8:30am to 2pm and 3:30 to 7:30pm, Sunday 9am to 1pm. November to May they open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 2pm, and again Tuesday and Thursday 3:30 to 6pm.
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This material was last updated October 2009. All information was accurate at the time.
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