Molaroni Ceramics on Display
Full article by Antonella Pino d'Astore on viaggiemondo.it
Pesaro. Ceramiche Molaroni at Casa Bucci. November 16, 2025 – January 10, 2026
Ceramiche Molaroni: the faithful gesture. Since 1880, the living continuity of Pesaro majolica art. Casa Bucci, Pesaro November 16, 2025 – January 10, 2026
Pesaro is the City of Ceramics and is the perfect location to host the exhibition “Ceramiche Molaroni: the faithful gesture”. From November 16, 2025 to January 10, 2026, Casa Bucci will feature one of Italy's oldest manufacturers, showcasing a selection of wonderful ceramics from the Pesaro workshop, founded by Vincenzo Molaroni in the late nineteenth century and still productive and renowned worldwide today.
Organized and promoted by the Associazione Culturale Società dell’Uso, with the support of the Marche Region, the patronage of the Municipality of Pesaro and in collaboration with gli Amici della Ceramica Pesaro, the exhibition curated by Viviana Bucci is a precious opportunity to retrace the history of the Molaroni factory, thanks to the important contribution of the family who has loaned an exemplary ceramic heritage, with pieces of extraordinary beauty, in particular vases, plates and amphorae.
A narrative that spans from its origins to the present day, covering almost a century and a half: from the acquisition of the Benucci & Latti company in 1880, to the establishment of the Società Anonima Ceramiche Molaroni & C. in 1921, to its evolution into the "Ceramiche Molaroni" brand in 1952, and the more recent "Molaroni 1880" which continues to identify excellence in the sector, where craftsmanship meets art.
The Molaroni family made a decisive contribution to Pesaro's ceramic identity, establishing itself between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as one of the most important manufacturers in the Adriatic area, capable of interpreting the illustrious tradition of Italian Renaissance majolica, through serial production, entirely hand-decorated, which received recognition in major national and international exhibitions. Assisted by skilled craftsmen and using specially created colors, Vincenzo proposed decorations that are still current symbols of elegance and refinement, such as Istoriato, Grotesques, Liberty and other pictorial motifs of his invention, including the Raffaellesco blue; over time, the decorative assortment has been expanded, first with the Rose and Daisy motifs, typical eighteenth-century Pesaro subjects, and then the Polychrome, a set of unprecedented floral ornaments. A collection of wonders that can be admired together at Casa Bucci, as a living continuity of the art of majolica.
On the other hand, Casa Bucci, the former ceramic workshop of Franco Bucci, opened in the early 1970s, now regenerated by the family into a cultural center (as well as a center for renewed production), is the emblem of an important historical and emotional connection with the Molaroni family: in 1961, Bucci began his career by renting part of their workshop space on via Luca della Robbia, where the Laboratorio Pesaro was born, the artist's first experimental forge that would become a prominent figure in the contemporary scene, thanks to his innovative approach to the use of stoneware and the creation of everyday objects, designed as a designer, between craftsmanship and aesthetics. The Molaroni exhibition in Bucci's former factory is therefore intended as a gesture of solidarity and gratitude, a symbolic act that celebrates the connection between two fundamental realities of ceramic art. The exhibition will reopen the dialogue between these two creative souls which, despite being so different in style and approach, had a significant meeting point and are now united in a tribute to the art of ceramics in our country.
Pesaro is among the members of the Italian Association of Ceramic Cities (AiCC), which brings together fifty-six centers throughout the national territory, made popular for their quality and centuries-old tradition; an artistic history that also includes Casa Bucci, custodian of the Franco Bucci Archive, which is part of the Pesaro Municipality's museum network due to its important and recognized identity as a ceramics museum.