The ancient terracotta traditions of Impruneta, Italy are still going and today Rajiv visits Fornace Masini who is one of the producers of the iconic red clay pottery that’s shipped all over the world.
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★ TABLE OF CONTENTS ★
• 0:00 | Introduction to the Episode
• 0:51 | Rajiv’s Pilgrimage to Italy
• 1:14 | The Terracotta Factories in Impruneta
• 1:32 | Post-WWII Reconstruction Using Local Bricks
• 1:46 | History of Fornini: A Family Business Since 1938
• 2:07 | Meeting Long-Time Workers at Fornini
• 4:10 | The Terracotta-Making Process: From Earth to Clay
• 5:02 | Challenges of Removing Bomb Fragments After WWII
• 6:09 | The Traditional Donkey-Powered Clay Pulverization
• 6:37 | Modern Machinery in Terracotta Production
• 7:31 | Preparing the Clay for Production
• 8:53 | Demonstration: Preparing and Handling Clay
• 9:44 | Detailed Explanation of the Clay Mixing Process
• 10:04 | The Traditional Bread-Making Machines Used in Clay Production
• 12:03 | Handmade Terracotta Pots: An Age-Old Tradition
• 12:44 | Hand-Crafting and Press Molding Techniques
• 14:14 | Pressing Clay into Molds: A Hands-On Process
• 14:47 | Rajiv Tries Traditional Pot-Making Techniques
• 16:05 | Refining and Retouching the Terracotta Pots
• 16:49 | Rajiv’s First Attempt at Making a Terracotta Flower
• 19:30 | The Art of Lifting the Mold and Revealing the Flower
• 21:28 | How to Remove Imperfections from Terracotta Pots
• 22:07 | Cleaning and Refining the Molded Pots
• 24:15 | Rajiv’s Hands-On Experience with Terracotta Clay
• 26:21 | Stamping the Pots: Impruneta’s Signature
• 27:15 | The Global Reach of Fornini’s Products
• 28:53 | Preparing the Pots for Firing
• 30:02 | The Modern Kiln and Firing Process
• 31:06 | Utilizing Residual Heat for Drying
• 32:01 | Temperature Control and Avoiding Thermal Shocks
• 33:13 | The Role of Iron Oxide in Clay Coloring
• 34:24 | Rajiv Learns About the Natural Variability in Clay Colors
• 35:10 | Traditional Wood-Fired Kilns and the Firing Process
• 37:08 | Inspecting the Pot’s Color to Gauge Readiness
• 37:48 | The Process of Sealing Air Gaps with Earth
• 38:39 | The Role of Fascine in Traditional Kiln Firing
• 39:10 | Learning to Control the Flame for Ideal Firing
💡 TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO 💡
• Terracotta Making Process
• History of Impruneta Terracotta
• Italian Craftsmanship
• Family-Owned Terracotta Factory
• World War II Impact on Italy
• Traditional Pottery Techniques
• Handcrafted Terracotta Pots
• Modern Kiln Firing Techniques
• Iron Oxide in Terracotta Clay
• Fornini Family Business
• Donkey-Powered Clay Pulverization
• Press Molding Clay
• Handmade Italian Ceramics
• Post-War Brick Manufacturing
• The Art of Clay Retouching
• How to Make Clay Pots
• Traditional Wood-Fired Kiln
• Italian Pottery Exports
• Learning from Italian Masters
• Tools Used in Clay Production
• Preparing Clay for Firing
• Rajiv Surendra in Italy
• Historical Kilns in Italy
• Terracotta in Architectural Restoration
• Using Residual Heat in Clay Firing
• Traditional Bread-Making Machines
• The Role of Clay in Italian Culture
• Ancient Clay Processing Techniques
• How Clay is Pulverized for Pottery
• Post-War Reconstruction with Terracotta
• Impruneta’s Global Pottery Export
• How to Press Clay into Molds
• The Importance of Removing Imperfections
• Learning to Handle Clay
• Natural Variations in Terracotta Color
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His lil outfit tho
Friends and I visited Impruneta in 2018. It is a small, beautiful town with an amazing museum that is definitely worth visiting. I wish I had known about the significance of its terracotta artisans as I would have made sure to buy a small terracotta piece. Its proximity to Florence (you can get a bus from the centre of town into Florence) and its easy driving to other picturesque towns in the region makes Impruneta the perfect place to stay for a few days.
I love hearing Costanza speak. Wow talk about a thick accent obviously. Wonderful!!
I want to see a series on family businesses in various crafts in many other old cities, Rajiv.
Stunning pots.
Wow, what a wonderful video. Thank you Rajiv and Terracotta Artisans.
My daughter was in Forence for 10 months, her second to last year at OCAD U, i wish I had known about this place, we would have brought back Way more than our oversized olive wood charcuterie board! I am so enjoying your your of Italy! my sweet girl came back with a love of travel and is currently in Japan! She also swept the fine art awards at Graduation! I started takeing pottery courses with my parents every Thursday and continued for years, after we would go to a bar where we would order a jug of beer and a cheese and onion sandwich, potting is dry work and wow that tasted wonderful! Nana has some brilliant cheek bones! and was very pretty!
Thank you for another amazing video! Gorgeous! Wonderful to learn all about this family and their beautiful pottery.
I LOVED the intro music! Can you tell us what it is? I want to own it…So soothing!
Rajiv, you are amazing . Thanks for bringing a piece of my Italy to your chanel. Mille grazie!!
Nonna Carla has a very strong tuscan accent, she's so sweet.
Rajiv – Nonna is adorable. A piece of advice when helping an older person or one who is blind let them take your arm instead of taking theirs. It is more stabilizing for them and a better sense of security and better control. Love these beautiful clay pots.
Loved it all
Enthralling…Thank you ❤
Wow! That was truly beautiful! ✨🙏🏼Thank you Rajiv and the family. 😊
Your visit was so remarkable and I loved the grandmother's spirit! None is a forever treasure.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tour with us Rajiv! Learning the history and meeting Nonna was very special. Is this factory open to the public or must you make an appointment?
WHAT a moving story! What her hands and memory can teach! Thank you Rajiv. This is one of your most moving videos (and that's saying something, because all of your videos mean a lot to me). I love how you started and ended in the yard with the finished pieces. At first, it was an interesting showplace. In the end, it was the end of an incredible chapter in this family's library. This will sound goofy but you remind me of Mr. Rogers and LeVar Burton in your ability to show, educate, entertain, and compel.
To all the people ( with or without tears in their eyes) who are gushing over La Nonna I'd like to ask you when the last time was that you talked, and listened to an old person. All old people have stories to tell and can teach you things you will never get any other way. Seek out the elders in your family and neighborhood. Spend time with them.
Thank you from Spain.
Hi Rajiv, Can you share the name of the guitarist in this video? They're pretty great!
Surendra San, your best video yet. That last shot you holding hands with Nonna Carla, and your hands still dirty with the dust from the work against the background full of pottery is fantastic! The old photographs and the Ave Maria at the end, really beautiful work. Thank You very much!
Take nonna to NY!! ❤
I was mesmerized so much by the book shop, and Rajiv making his beautiful paper…that I forgot to "thumbs up" the first video. ❤
R beautiful hat
Bad day to wear all white
This video was lovely in every way.
Absolutely Special Show. Beautiful Nonna. Thank you to you, … all three, for this privileged learning experience.
Rajiv, my daughter got married at the town hall in Impruneta In September. ❤
Thank you so much for sharing: that was so beautiful.
What a beautiful tour! And gosh did you learn Italian just for the trip? There are no ends to your talents.
This episode made me weep. I am also a potter.
Fascinating and charming!❤
This was so precious
This was a sheer delight. Wonderful people. Amazing artistry. Rajiv thank you for your unique and wondrous videos. 😊💜🇨🇦
What a treasure of a video. Thank you for your inspiration. Watching from Cyprus 🇨🇾 ❤
Great video. Loved learning about how pots are made. The history of the company is fascinating.
Dear Rajiv, your enchanting way to connect with Nonna Carla was so convincing. Your Italian is wonderful but the secret of your bound was your sincere respect and interest. You made my day – and definitely the day of Nonna Carla, Costanza and Gioa. You are a blessing!
Greetings from Hamburg Germany 🛳
I worked at an Archaeological Site that had been the location of an Etruscan terracotta workshop thousands of years ago. At some point, the original workshop had burned down and was rebuilt close by. In the rubble, the archaeologists a few decades prior had found a piece of clay that had been burned in the fire that had indentations in it from when someone had grabbed a piece of clay from it, and you can trace your fingers through the crevices left by the other human's fingers. It was an insane experience, speaking to the way so many things change, but some things stay the same.
Oh, those pots! Priceless history right there.
Just loved video, what an honor to have met them and to have seen this place. Many thanks for sharing.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
This just takes my breath away! I have always loved Italian pottery, but to know the back story and see it's history is just amazing!!! Thank you so much!!!
What a beautiful story and beautifully presented. Great content! Do more! These "how it happens and how it was" would be great content for tv!! Especially the way you connect the human element to the history. Touching sweet and a beautiful legacy story.
Looks like @rajiv has been adopted bt Nonna <3
cool episode as always thanks , what a nice pottery art ,
Rajiv, thank you so much for sharing this special experience. It was very special❤❤❤