In this article we want to present the ceramics produced in the eighties by the Italian distillery Fratelli Vallenti. All of them contain sweet liqueurs like: amaretto, coffee liqueur, Sambuca, don suarez and due torri. The same ceramic can be found filled up with different liqueurs but it is not possible to assure that every ceramic was launched in every variety of liqueurs. Due to the characteristics of these miniatures, its value resides in the ceramic in itself rather than its content, that’s the reason why this article didn’t focus in the liqueur inside these ceramics.
The ceramics were made by the Company Werther Bosi and The Distillery of the Valenti Brothers which was in charge of filling them with the corresponding liquor and commercializing them. It is probable that several rolls were produced of each pottery since we can find the same monument with small variations.
The label is not glued to the surface of the pottery but is partially embedded in the sealing wax. On the left side of the image below we can find the labels corresponding to each of the liquors mentioned above.
Beside these five labels we can see another totally different grappa stravecchia that corresponds to the pottery that represents the old bridge of the town of Bassano. It is the only one of the 24 ceramics presented in this article, which was not produced by Valenti, but by the “Fabbrica Liquori Alpes Bassano”, as can be read on its label, which unlike Valenti’s ceramics, is stuck in the base of the pottery.
Other differences between the pottery of the Old Bridge of Bassano and the remaining 23 are the following: It is the only one that is not monochrome, since the water of the river is painted blue and is also the only one with the closure by the side. Many collectors think that this ceramic belongs to those produced by Valenti but it is not so; Nevertheless we include it here by its great similarity with those of Valenti.
At the base of each of the ceramics is highlighted the name of the city in which the corresponding monument is located. The territorial distribution of these monuments, including the one of Bassano, is the following: 19 from Italy, 2 from San Marino and 3 from Germany.
The figures have different heights, being the one of Florence (Bell of Giotto) the highest (13.2 cm) and the one of Bassano (Old Bridge) the lowest one (4,3 cm). Below we can see a complete overview of the 24 ceramics in which we can appreciate their relative sizes:
Next, we will describe the most important features of each of the monuments that have served as a model for the manufacture of ceramics. This information has been collected from the internet, one of the main sources being the Wikipedia website. We will follow the alphabetical order of the cities in which the monuments are found and we can compare the monument with the respective ceramics, which will allow us to get an idea of the degree of similarity between the two.
BARI: Trulli
A trullo is an ancient rural construction typical of the Italian region of Apulia, which is entirely made of stone masonry walls in dry, without mortar, finished off with a large conical shaped roof.
This type of construction is typical from the Itria Valley on the slopes of the Murgia promontory. This promontory of the Murgia, in which the calcareous stone abounds, has given the ingenious builders of that age the possibility of designing these conical constructions, often decorated with figures of magical, spiritual and superstitious meaning made with brick shape.stones.
Although in the areas where the trulli are built there are archaeological finds from prehistoric times, or foundations of stone huts of the Bronze Age, there are no such ancient trulls. This is justified by the fact that, instead of repairing the flaws, if necessary, they preferred to knock it down and build a new one, for economic reasons.
The city of Alberobello, in the province of Bari, is to all intents and purposes the «Capital of the trulli», having been declared «The trulli of Alberobello» Patrimony of the Humanity by Unesco in the year 1996.
BASSANO: Ponte Vecchio
The so-called Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), Bassano Bridge or Bridge of the Alpinists (Italian: Ponte degli Alpini), is an old covered Italian bridge that crosses the Brenta River which is in the town of Bassano del Grappa , In the province of Vicenza, and which is considered one of the most emblematic bridges of the country.
Built entirely of wood, it has undergone numerous interventions and reconstructions since its inception, documented in 1209 by Gerardo Maurisio.
In October 1567 there was a strong flood of the Brenta River which struck the historic bridge dating back to 1209, which was a wooden structure on top of piloni (pylons) with cover and which was the fundamental communication route between Bassano and Vicenza.
The current bridge is based on a design by Andrea Palladio of 1569 respecting the fact that it was built entirely of wood.
BOLOGNA: Towers
The towers of Bologna are buildings of medieval origin located in the city of Bologna, Italy. Between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the number of towers built was enormous. The figure of 180 has been mentioned, but specialists consider this figure an exaggeration, the result of an incorrect interpretation of the notarial texts of the time.
The reasons why so many towers were raised are unclear. One tends to think that the richest families of the city, in a time marked by the struggles between the factions adept to the papacy and the empire, used them as an instrument of attack and defense, and above all, as a symbol of power.
Throughout century XIII many towers were demolished, and some collapsed. In successive periods, they were used in different ways: as jails, shops or places of stay. The last demolitions occurred in the twentieth century, specifically in 1917, when the towers Artenisi and Ricardonna were demolished, for the sake of a new urban planning.
FLORENCE: Old Palace and Arnolfo Tower
The Palazzo Vecchio (translated into English, Old Palace) in Florence is located in Piazza della Signoria. Inside, the palace houses a museum (Museo dei Ragazzi) in which are exposed works of Bronzino, Michelangelo and Giorgio Vasari, among others; And also the offices of the Town Hall of the city (Comune di Firenze).
Fist Called Palazzo dei Priori or Palagio Novo, the name was changed to the “Palace of the Lordship”, which was the main administration of the Florentine Republic in the fifteenth century. Later it was called “Ducal Palace”, beacuse Cosme I de Médici established there its residence in 1540. Later, in 1565, would begin to be called Palazzo Vecchio because Cosme moved to the Pitti Palace.
The Tower of the Palace, known as Arnolfo’s tower, was built around 1310, when the building’s body was almost finished. Of a height near 94 meters, the tower is not aligned with respect to the facade, but decentered on the south side of it (towards the right for who observes frontally the Palace), because it rests on a pre-existing tower-house belonging to The Foraboschi called Cow Tower. This name was the one that gave the Florentines to the thick bell that supported.
The great clock located in the middle of the tower was built by the Florentine Nicolo Bernardo, but replaced in 1667 by another, made by Giorgio Lederle di Augusta and mounted by Vincenzo Viviani. It still works.
FLORENCE: Giotto Bell Tower
The tower, which started Giotto in 1337 and completed Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti, is a solid structure almost 85 m high.
The imposing tower is elegant and harmonious thanks to the windows, which have one or two columns.
The tower is completely covered with white, green and pink marbles.
The base is divided into two zones: one with panels and bas-reliefs representing the Arts and Human Works of Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia; The other part is decorated with niches with statues (currently, many originals are in the “Museo dell’Opera del Duomo”), dedicated to the sacraments, virtues and liberal arts.
It is possible to go up to the bell tower, from where you can see a magnificent panorama of Florence.
GENOA: Lighthouse
The Genoa lighthouse, also known as Lantern (“Lanterna”) , is located in the port of Genoa, Italy. It was built and illuminated in 1543.
It is the old city lighthouse that from the coastal promontory of San Benigno, directed the boats of “La Superba” (as it was called to Genoa in the times of the Marine Republics).
It is undoubtedly considered the highest symbol of the city, the pride of the Genoese, historically one of the largest navigating towns and who have always been identified with the sea and trade.
With a total height from the sea level of 117 meters, it has a structure of 77 meters of built tower, from the base to the top of the dome and 30 meters of promontory.
LABOE (KIEL): Naval Memorial
The Laboe Naval Memorial (known as Laboe Tower) is a memorial located in Laboe, near Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
Started in 1927 and completed in 1936, the monument was initially dedicated to the dead of the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I, and after 1945 the Kriegsmarine died during World War II.
In 1954 it was dedicated to commemorate the sailors of all the nationalities killed during the World Wars.
The monument consists of a tower of 72 m. crowned by an observatory terrace. The terrace rises 85 m. above sea level.
Its shape is often associated with the sail of a viking ship or with the tower of a submarine.
LÜBECK: Holsten Gate
The Holstentor or the Holsten Gate is one of the old gates of the city of Lübeck, which marks the western limit of the medieval part of the city. It is built of brick in Baltic Gothic style.
Its characteristic shape has made it the symbol of the city. Together with the historical center of Lübeck, they have been part of Unesco’s Patrimony of Humanity since 1987.
The “Holsten Gate” is made up of the north tower, the south tower and a central building that connects them. The towers are semi-wired and are topped with a conical roof. The central building has an arch that allows passage and is topped on both sides by a stepped gable. At the widest point of its radius the towers extend to 3.5 meters of the central building.
The appearance of the building varies depending on whether it is seen from the “city side” to the east or from the “side of the field” in the west. Viewed from the city, the building looks like a single unit, while seen from “the field” clearly differentiate the three parts that constitute it.
MANTOVA: Clock Tower
The Clock Tower of Mantua is one of the most characteristic buildings of this city. It is located in a square next to the Rotunda, a very curious primitive Christian church.
It seems that this construction dates from the year 1472 or perhaps finished in 1473 by the architect Luca Fancelli, a Florentine architect in the service of Ludovico III Gonzaga, marquees of Mantua, on the base of a preexisting building that dated back to the thirteenth century.
From the ground floor door leads to Palazzo della Ragione. Already at the end of 1473 in the tower was placed the astronomical clock, that is work of the mathematician of Mantua, Bartolomeo Manfredi.
Bartolomeo was the son of Giovanni Manfredi, “Giovanni dell’Orologio”, a clockmaker from the neighborhood of L’Aquila, a disciple of Vittorino da Feltre, from whom he learned geometry and astronomy and the art of clockmaking. Bartolomé counted on the help of his son Feltrinelli for the construction of the clock.
MILAN: Cathedral
The Cathedral of Milan (in Italian, Duomo di Milano) is a Gothic cathedral located in the city of the same name and is the episcopal seat of the Archdiocese of Milan.
The Duomo has a cruciform plant, shaped like a Latin cross that occupies an area of almost 12,000 square meters, is 157 meters long, its widest part measures 93 meters in the transept and can hold 40,000 people inside.
To highlight its 135 needles and its approximately 3,400 statues that surround it, including the 96 giants of the gargoyles. The highest spire, with the statue of the Virgin, measures 108 meters.
Its interior has a particular light. The rays of colored light that seep through the Gothic stained glass, true works of art, create a solemn and mystical atmosphere.
It is one of the largest Catholic worship churches in the world, and the windows of the choir have the reputation of being the largest that are known.
MODENA: Civic Tower
The Civic Tower, also called Tower Ghirlandina, is the bell tower of the cathedral of Modena (region of Emilia-Romagna, in Italy).
It has a height of 86.12 meters. It is the typical symbol of Modena, visible from any direction from the outskirts of the city.
The structure was created in 1179, of square plant and five floors, being called initially Torre di San Geminiano. To compete with the towers of Bologna, the city council added the characteristic octagonal cusp, designed by Arrigo da Campione, one of the many masters of the Campioneque between the 13th and 15th centuries updated the style of the cathedral to the new Gothic taste. The top of the tower is decorated with two ghirlande (two marble trellises, hence the name).
It was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco together with the cathedral and the Piazza Grande of Modena in 1997.
MUNICH: Cathedral Church
The Frauenkirche (full name is Dom zu Unserer Lieben Frau, Cathedral of Our Dear German Lady) is the Catholic cathedral church of Munich, the Bavarian capital (Germany). Located in the center of the city on the Frauenplatz.
The cathedral, which replaced the old Romanesque church built in the 12th century, was commissioned by Sigismund of Bavaria and erected by Jörg von Halsbach.
The building began in 1468 and the two towers were completed in 1488. The church was consecrated in 1494. However, the famous domes of the towers were not built until 1525. Its design was inspired by the Dome of the Rock of Jerusalem, which in turn has influences from Byzantine art.
The cathedral suffered severe damage during World War II; The roof was destroyed and one of the towers suffered major damage. The most important restoration of the building took place after the war and has been completed in different stages, the last one in 1994.
NAPLES: Castle Maschio Angioino
The Castle Maschio Angioino (Tower of the Anjou), also known as Castel Nuovo, was built between 1279 and 1282 by Charles I of Anjou, a record, being the royal palace of his dynasty. In the time of Roberto de Anjou, one of the most notorious patrons of his time, great figures of the arts and letters, such as Petrarch or Boccaccio, who wrote the Decameron among their walls, stayed in the castle. Of this first stage there are not remains, due to the immediate restructuring to the arrival of the Aragonese.
The castle has five towers which are the connecting points of the thick walls (Torre di Guardia, Torre di Mezzo, Torre di San Giorgio, Torre del Beverello and Torre dell’Oro), and a triumphal arch of marble (Arco d’Alfonso d’Aragona), which was built in the 13th century to celebrate the entrance of Alfonso V of Aragon (I of Naples) in the city on February 26, 1443. The central hall of the castle is the monumental Sala dei Baroni (Hall of the Barons), so called because in 1487 were arrested in this place the Barons who conspired against Fernando I of Naples. This room now hosts meetings of the municipal council and the Civic Museum.
Another notable historical event occurred in 1504: after conquering the city, the Great Captain for the Crown of Aragon served as viceroy, until he was stripped of the title by Fernando el Católico, with whom, despite their conquests (or precisely because of them), maintained a certain enmity. Proof of this is the story of the Accounts of the Great Captain, who presumably passed between the walls of this castle.
PADOVA: Basilica of San Antonio
Monumental Gothic style building crowned by spectacular domes, whose interior houses the sarcophagus with the mortal remains of St. Anthony of Padua, one of the most venerated Catholic saints.
The Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua is a religious temple of the Italian city of Padua, built between 1238 and 1310.
Its original nucleus was the Church of St. Mary Mother of the Lord, Sancta Maria Mater Domini, where the Franciscan convent was installed in which St. Anthony of Padua was buried, a fact that gave rise to a fervent devotion to its human remains by the Catholics.
In the square there is the magnificent equestrian monument dedicated to Gattamelata, the masterpiece of the Renaissance sculptor Donatello. Also in the interior of the basilica made by this same sculptor, there is a bronze crucifix, which Boito placed years later on the main altar. For this same altar, Donatello created seven statues that represent the Virgin with Child and the saints Francisco, Antonio, Justina, Daniel, Luis and Prosdocimo.
PISA: Tower
The leaning tower of Pisa (in Italian: tower pendente di Pisa) is the bell tower of the cathedral of the city of Pisa, city of the municipality of the Italian region of Tuscany and capital of the homonymous province.
The tower began to tilt as soon as its construction began in August 1173. Its height is 55.7 to 55.8 meters from the base, its weight is estimated at 14,700 tons and the inclination of about 4 °, extending 3,9 m from the vertical. It has 8 levels: a base of blind arches with 15 columns, six levels adorned with open arcades of half point, and a bell tower in the top. The internal spiral staircase has 294 steps. It is considered, next to the cathedral of which it is part, one of the jewels of Romanesque art.
The Italian government requested aid on 27 February 1964 to prevent its collapse, and on 7 January 1990 it was closed to the public as a security measure. In May 2008, after the removal of 70 metric tons (70,000 kg) of land, the tower’s engineers announced that it had stabilized in such a way that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. It was stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years. It was allowed to enter the public on June 16, 2001, after the completion of 10 years of work. In 1987, the patrimonial set of the place of the Duomo was declared Patrimony of the Humanity by Unesco.
RAVENA: Theodorian Mausoleum
The Mausoleum of Theodoric is a monument located on the outskirts of Ravenna (Italy) built by King Theodoric the Great around 520 AD. with the intention of being his future tomb, in white marble of Istria. It is the most famous funerary construction of the Ostrogoths. It rises, isolated, outside the city, next to the necropolis reserved for the Goths.
It is quickly distinguished from all other buildings in Ravenna by the fact that it is not built in brick but with blocks of Istrian stone. It has a circular plan, returning to the typology of other Roman mausoleums, and it is characterized by two floors: the lower one with decagonal form, with niches in each side, under arches of half point and with an interior in the form of a cross; The upper is smaller, accessible by a staircase and formerly surrounded by an ambulatory with columns that embellished it and only traces left in the birth of the arches on the walls. Its shape is also decagonal to the outside and circular to the interior.
According to Valois, Muratori and Alberti, the remains of the monarch rested in a porphyry vessel located on four columns that crowned the dome, made in a single block of granite. This cover of the mausoleum is the most surprising feature of the building. It is formed by a single helmet-shaped monolith, in Aurisina stone of 300 tons and 11 meters in diameter, transported by sea. It symbolizes the military strength and robustness typical of the Germanic cultures. It was crowned by statues of the twelve apostles in bronze.
RIMINI: Arch of August
The Arch of Augustus of Rimini is a magnificent example and the oldest of Roman triumphal arches; Was consecrated to the emperor Augustus on the part of the Roman Senate in 27 a.C.
It is located between the Via Emilia and Via Flaminia. This one connects the city of Rimini with Rome.
The arch has a single eye with columns and tympanum and was crowned by the bronze statue of Emperor Augustus, portrayed driving a chariot.
Along with the Bridge of Tiberio constitutes one of the symbols of the city, forming part of the shield of the city.
ROME: Castel Sant’Angello
The Castle of Sant’Angelo or Castel Sant’Angelo (also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian or Mole Adrianorum) is a Roman monument located on the right bank of the River Tiber, in front of the Aelius pons (present bridge Sant’Angelo), Within walking distance of the Vatican City.
Initiated by Emperor Hadrian in 135 to be his personal and family mausoleum, it was completed by Antonino Pio in 139. The monument, raised with travertine stone, was decked out by a chariot in bronze guided by the Emperor Hadrian. Soon the building changed its use and became a military building. It was integrated to the Aurelian Wall in 403.
The present name of the castle comes from year 590, during a great epidemic of plague that struck the city of Rome. The pope of the time, Gregory I, saw the Archangel Michael, on top of the castle sheathing his sword signifying the end of the epidemic. To commemorate the apparition, a statue of an angel crowns the building (first a marble statue of Raffaello da Montelupo, and from 1753, a bronze by Pierre van Verschaffelt on a drawing by Bernini).
Since 1277, the castle is connected to the Vatican City by a fortified corridor, called Passetto, about 800 meters long. The fortress was the refuge of Pope Clement VII during the siege and looting of Rome in the year 1527, carried out by the troops of King Charles I of Spain, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
ROME: The Pantheon
The Pantheon is a temple of circular plant erected in Rome by Hadrian, between the years 118 and 125 d.C. Completely built on the ruins of the temple erected in 27 a. C. by Agrippa, destroyed by a fire in 80, dedicated to all the gods (the word pantheon, of Greek origin means “temple of all the gods”).
The marks found on the bricks correspond to the years 123-125, which suggests that the temple was inaugurated by the Emperor Hadrian during his stay in the capital between 125 and 128. Although it is not known with certainty who was the architect , The project is often attributed to Apollodorus of Damascus.
The orientation was changed with respect to the previous pantheon (of Agrippa), since the main façade was placed towards the north. The construction of a large round room with a rectangular portico, conformed as a classical temple, is an innovation in the Roman architecture. The construction of a semi-spherical dome on a circular drum was typical of the architecture of the time. It is observed in the Villa Adriana in Tivoli, in the baths of Agrippa, the baths of Caracalla, and generally in the rooms of the first times of the empire.
The internal space of the roundabout is constituted by a cylinder covered by a hemisphere. The cylinder has a height equal to the radius, and the total height is equal to the diameter, so that a complete sphere can be inscribed in the inner space. The diameter of the dome is 43.44 m (150 feet), making it the largest mass concrete dome in history.
SAN MARINO: Guaita Fortress
The city of San Marino was born under a mountain called Monte Titano. This mountain, almost 800 meters high, has three peaks (Guaita, La Fratta and Montale) and on each peak has a tower.
The most famous of these three towers is known as La Rocca, or Guaita Fortress, alluding to the name of the peak in which it is. This is the oldest of all, built in the eleventh century. During many years it alternated its military function, like defense of the city, with its function like prison, until in the XX century it was restored and became a tourist element.
The tower in the peak of Rocca Basket is known as Torre De la Fratta. This is the one that stands at the highest height of the three and was erected at the beginning of the thirteenth century. Today it houses the State Museum of Arms, with warlike pieces from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
And the last of the towers, also built during the thirteenth century, is Montale. Although it is the least known or less famous of the three, it is said that this is the best panoramic views over the city.
SAN MARINO: Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico is the city hall of the City of San Marino along with it is the official building of the Government. The building, where official state ceremonies take place, is the seat of the principal institutions and administration of the Republic: the Captains Regents, the Great and General Council, the Council of Twelve and the State Congress.
Located on the site of the old building called Domus Magna Comunis, the current building was designed by the Roman architect, Frencesco Azzurri, and was built between 1884 and 1894.
After its centenary a project of total renovation due to the insecurity of the building for the current standards. The intervention was completed by the renowned international architect, Gae Aulenti, on September 30, 1996.
The Palazzo Pubblico appears on the face of the San Marino two euro coins.
SIENA: Cathedral
The Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena in Italian) is the main temple and episcopal seat of this Italian city. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.
The cathedral was designed on the basis of an older structure, and finished between 1215 and 1263 by Giovanni Pisano. It belongs, therefore, to the full phase of the Gothic style. It presents Latin cross plant with cruise, dome and a belfry. The base of the dome is octagonal and is only made to circulate above the support columns. The lantern of the crown was added by the famous baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The ships are divided by means of semicircular arches. The exterior and interior of the temple are decorated with a placard of white and greenish marble, forming a characteristic stripes or horizontal bands.
The main façade is one of the masterpieces of Italian Gothic. It is a façade-screen, in which the geometric design is masked by a lavish decoration in which architectural elements, sculptural elements and the touch of colored mosaics. To be emphasized the use of geometric figures in front of the preferred verticality of the cathedrals of French Gothic. In the main pediment, in a triangular shape you can see a beautiful image of the Coronation of the Virgin, surrounded by a choir of angels.
Inside, the constant rhythm imposed by the alternating bands of white and dark marbles, as well as the complex decorative work of the pavement, which shows diverse and varied religious and pagan scenes with many figures and great attention to the detail.
SIRMIONE; Rocca Scaligera
The castle of Sirmione, called Rocca Scaligera, is at the end of a narrow peninsula, approximately 2.5 km, which allows the old town to join the “mainland”.
To enter the old town you must pass through its drawbridge and therefore enter the territory that defends the castle.
The castle is surrounded by a canal and has a dock inside.
The mayor of Verona, Leonardino Scala, better known as Mastino I della Scala, had the castle built in the 13th century in order to protect the port and the city.
In 1900 the castle was almost ruined and was remodeled.
VENEZIA: Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal in Venice, it is also best known for its design and history. For years it was the most important economic center of Venice.
The Rialto Bridge was built between 1588 and 1591 with a design by the architect Antonio da Ponte to replace the previous wooden bridge, since it had collapsed twice and had been burned on another occasion.
The structure of the bridge is similar to that of its predecessors, two inclined ramps joined by a portico in the middle.
La destilería Fratelli Valenti también produjo cerámicas en tamaño grande pero no en igual variedad que las miniaturas. Concretamente produjo 5 cerámicas diferentes, que podemos ver en la foto siguiente.
The distillery Fratelli Valenti also produced ceramics in large size but not in the same variety as the miniatures. Specifically produced 5 different ceramics, which we can see in the following photo.
Of these five, there are three whose monument and form have their correspondence with the miniature: Tower of Pisa, Towers of Bologna and Old Palace of Florence. In the center of the photo we can see the trulli of Bari whose form does not match the miniature since in the big one there are two trulli and in the small one only. Finally, in the right part of the photo we can see a reproduction of the Mole Antonelliana of Torino of which the corresponding miniature does not exist.
Manuel López Reyes
Madrid, 2015
Thanks:
- To Carlos López “Carlopeto” for all the information and photos provided.
- To Giuseppe Savoca for the informacion provided.
Note: The total or partial reproduction of this article is not allowed without the permission of the author and the CECBL.