Robbiane

Terracotta pieces are named "robbiane" when they are covered by enamel: normally white and Light blue, but sometimes also with other colours such as yellow and green.

Robbiane comes from Luca della Robbia and his family.
Luca Della Robbia (1400-1481) was a friend of Donatello, Brunelleschi and Michelozzo :they worked often together in Florence.
After Luca, there were Giovanni, Matteo and others that made beautiful "robbiane" for any use. to Luca himself.

His celebrity is due to the superior quality of his enamels.
His white enamel is incredibly beautiful, brilliant and "right" in any sense. It is made by 3 parts of lead(Pb)and 1 part of silica (sand). It is spread evenly all over and this is particularly difficult if you consider the problems of distribution, the dimension of the pieces and the position in the kiln.

				In Impruneta church there are two important altars with "robbiane" made in 1448 and all over Tuscany you may find these artistic pieces.
When you visit Florence you find these works in Uffizi, Opera del Duomo, Bargello museums or in the following churches:San Lorenzo, Santa Croce (Cappella dei Pazzi), San Miniato , Orsanmichele, S. Trinita.
				Around Florence you can go to Peretola, Empoli, Pistoia,Fiesole, Prato or far away near Lucca Borgo a Mozzano, Volterra, Assisi, La Verna, Foiano della Chiana and S. Fiora on mount Amiata.

Abroad: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Lisboa
Lyon (France)