Colì ceramics from Cutrofiano boast a long history. They are born from a centuries-old tradition, passed down within families with passion and love, and today their inestimable value is recognized.
In 2017, the town of Cutrofiano was included in the Ceramic Cities network. Thirty-seven other Italian towns were also members of this network. Obtaining membership required a long and arduous process, but today it also allows the Colì ceramics factory in Cutrofiano to hold this prestigious recognition, becoming an undisputed benchmark for ceramics in southern Italy.
LOCAL TERRACOTTA PRODUCTION
The Colì brothers of Cutrofiano are a true institution, even beyond the small Salento village a few kilometers south of Lecce. The name of the village provides the first evidence of the local importance of the art of figula, or terracotta objects. The "cutrubbi," from which the name Cutrufiano derives, were terracotta vases; the Greek term "kutra" means "vase."
THE FIGURE ART
The figula tradition is still passed down from father to son, just as it was in the history of the Colì brothers of Cutrofiano. The manufacturing techniques are still those of the past, preserving the original artisanal quality.
The Colì brothers' artistic ceramics in Cutrofiano are not mass-produced; each piece is handcrafted, preserving the authentic craftsmanship and skill of the past. It is this deep attachment to tradition and their origins that allows the terracotta artisans of Cutrofiano to continue preserving a craft shared by so many families in the town.
