Bitossi Ceramiche

The identity of Bitossi Ceramiche starts from the beginning of 1900’s and develops upon a productive ceramic tradition that existed in Montelupo Fiorentino starting from 1500. The Bitossi family business produces artistic ceramics, at least since 1871. It will be Guido Bitossi, heir to the ceramic tradition, to establish in 1921 the “Manifattura Maioliche Artistiche” featuring typical local craft works. The traditional production was renewed thanks to the Art Direction of Aldo Londi, a man attentive to the evolution of taste and with a natural born creative and aesthetical sense. The meeting with the architect Ettore Sottsass was of primary importance and it turned into a close collaboration with Londi for many years. Together they will give birth to successful lines which combined and magnified skill and genius. Bitossi Ceramiche still is in the original factory and it is still the destination for leading design characters who are fascinated by the historical value of the company and by craft production and create unique collections which are then recognizable in the nicest international shops. This attitude bound to the entrepreneurial skills developed throughout the years and to the constant research for quality product, helped to create its own identity for Bitossi Ceramiche, qualifying it as an example of Italian excellence. The family thus started to collect over 7000 historical works, documents and material related to the artistic ceramic production since 1871, and so it was created a massive Archive. Thanks to this collection in 2003 it was opened the main core of MAIB – Bitossi Artistic Industrial Museum, managed by the Vittoriano Bitossi Foundation, a direct offshoot of the family. In 2011 MAIB became member of MUSEIMPRESA, Italian Association of Enterprise Archives and Museums. In 2014 during the “Enterprise Culture Week” the Vittoriano Bitossi Foundation released the biography and presented the show dedicated to the master Aldo Londi, titled “Aldo Londi, a 20th Century Ceramist”. On December, 2, 2014 Bitossi Ceramiche was officially entitled as member of the Registry of Italian Historical Companies, instituted by the National Union of Chambers of Commerce.