Ceramic crafts on the Gargano
Ceramic has always been a central material in the artisanal production of the Gargano. Originally each village created unique products and this was due to the creativity and dexterity of the individual craftsman who dealt with them. In doing so, the ceramics of Vieste were distinguished from those of another country and so on. Obviously the production took place exactly as we imagine it with a romantic vision: through the wise use of the ancient lathes. A job that required great knowledge and great patience. With ceramics, pots and pans were created, salaturi (brine jars), vases, wineskins (liquid containers), dishes but also everyday objects for water, oil, olives and preserves. Less functional and more artistic objects were also created such as whistles, stoups, terracottas and imitations of Hellenic ceramics. Walking through the Gargano villages you come across many small shops where you can rediscover ceramics and buy some pieces to make your home more unique.Craftsmanship of the Gargano in Iron and Wood
The art of iron is much rarer than ceramics, only in some villages it continues to be handed down. Wrought iron creates beds, still very popular today, but also other objects of various kinds. Some craftsmen also hammer copper to make pitchers, basins and warmers. Wood, on the other hand, is a very present material on the Gargano, being a densely wooded land. The handcrafted production of wooden objects is certainly the most present and also representative. The olive tree is the most used plant for the creation of tools that continue to release a very pleasant olive aroma over time. Wooden handicrafts include objects of common use or furnishings but also objects of typical peasant life.Gargano lace
Lace becomes part of the Gargano handicraft for a real necessity. Carried out above all by women, the art of embroidery requires great dexterity and a creative mind. The craftswomen were inspired by the life of the fields and the sea, so the representations of flowers and ears, shells and fish were frequent. The Gargano has a strong religious matrix for which this aspect was also a source of inspiration. Clearly embroidering was a real necessity, for example for the preparation of the trousseau: a fundamental requirement with which the girls had to arrive at marriage. In fact, tradition has it that future brides were taught early to use a needle and thread.