MIC - Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche

Faenza's International Museum of Ceramics traces ceramic traditions across cultures and centuries, from ancient objects to modern and contemporary work. Founded by Gaetano Ballardini in 1908, it grew from an exhibition held for the third centenary of scientist Evangelista Torricelli, whose family had roots in Faenza.

Why it matters

Faenza's name became closely associated with maiolica, and the museum places the city's production in a broad international history of ceramics. Its collections include works from the ancient Near East, Egypt, Greece and Rome, as well as objects from the Islamic world, East Asia and the Americas. Italian ceramics, including Renaissance maiolica, form a central part of that story.

What to notice

The museum occupies the former convent of San Maglorio, with later additions accommodating modern collections. Its displays include Renaissance istoriato maiolica, ceramics from the Faentine Ferniani manufacture, and twentieth-century works by artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse and Léger. The Presepe Zucchini, a painted terracotta nativity with scenery by Romolo Liverani, offers a distinctive example of local ceramic artistry. The Premio Faenza, established in 1938 and opened to international participants in 1963, connects the museum's historical collections with contemporary ceramic practice.

Context and history

Ballardini developed the 1908 exhibition into a permanent museum and founded a ceramics school and specialist journal alongside it. An Allied bombing raid on 13 May 1944 severely damaged the building; many objects had been moved to safety, and the galleries began reopening in 1949. Artists later donated works to support the museum's recovery. The institution's post-war history links the preservation of ceramic heritage with Faenza's continuing role as a centre for ceramic art.