Caltagirone

Caltagirone is notable mainly as a center for ceramics. Its museum is remarkable for the number of really ancient ceramics there, from back to maybe 2000 BCE. The town is pretty too, with a somewhat overhyped tiled staircase which the chamber of commerce has successfully marketed as a tourist target.
si13 052510411 j Landscape en route from Piazza Armerina to Caltagirone si13 052510321 s Poppies by the roadside si13 052511140 j Il Giardino della Villa si13 052511221 j The Museo della Ceramica, in the Giardino della Vila, has some incredible and beauituful prehistoric ceramics, like this Bronze-Age bowl, c. 1600-1300 BCE.
si13 052511251 j cac Beautiful bowl from 3500-2800 BCE si13 052511340 j The design on this vase looks almost cubist. si13 052511360 s a cr Bowls from the Bronze Age, c.1000-850 BCE si13 052511410 s Decorated bowl
si13 052511440 s Pretty blue vases, maybe 16th c. si13 052511560 s a Small amphora and vase from c. 2000-1600 BC si13 052511590 s Large Greek vase si13 052513270 j Caltagirone is known for production of ceramics and they are everywhere, like here on the San Francisco bridge.
si13 052513321 s The Duomo di San Giuliano si13 052513400 s The Santa Maria del Monte staircase si13 052513472 j Swedish tourist at the steps si13 052513480 s The tiled staircase of Santa Maria del Monte dates from 1608; each step is decorated with ceramic tiles.
si13 052514070 s San Francisco d'Assisi bridge and church