Deruta 2203268 222851885 2008-07-01T12:42:29Z 83.211.55.133 /* References */ {{Infobox CityIT | img_coa = Deruta-Stemma.gif| official_name = Comune di Deruta| region = [[Umbria]] | province = [[Province of Perugia|Perugia]] (PG) | elevation_m = 234 | area_total_km2 = 44| population_as_of = [[December 31]], [[2004]]| population_total = 8498| population_density_km2 = 184| timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]], [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]+1 | coordinates = {{coor dm|42|59|N|12|25|E}}| frazioni = Casalina, Ripabianca, Castelleone, Pontenuovo, Sant'Angelo di Celle, San Nicolò di Celle | telephone = 0742| postalcode = 06053| gentilic = Derutesi| saint = St. Catherine| day = [[November 25]]| mayor = Alvaro Verbena| website = [http://www.comune.deruta.pg.it www.comune.deruta.pg.it] }}'''Deruta''' is a [[hill town]] and [[comune]] in the [[Province of Perugia]] in the [[Umbria]] region of [[Italy]]. Long known as a center of refined [[maiolica]] manufacture, Deruta remains known for its [[Deruta Ceramics|ceramics]], which are exported worldwide. ==History== Probably built upon Roman foundations, Deruta's name in its early variants&mdash; Ruto, Ruta, Rupta, Direpta and Diruta&mdash; all signify the “ruin” of this strategic site caused by the 6th-century [[Gothic War (535–552)|Gothic War]] and the [[Lombards|Lombard invasion]]. The [[Medieval commune]] that rose from these ruins had its own charter in the 13th century and was governed from its own Palazzo of the Consuls, but in fact Deruta has been under the dominion of neighboring [[Perugia]] since the 11th century, and has largely participated in Perugia's vicissitudes. The town's fortifications date from the 12th century, when it was an outpost in Perugia's [[marches]], facing the rival town of [[Todi]]. In 1465, under a new agreement with Perugia, the magistrate sent from Perugia would govern with the consent of four local men of good character (''quattro boni omini''). The ravages of [[Black Death|plague]] were so fierce at Deruta that rewalling in the later 15th century took in a smaller circuit to accommodate the reduced population. Besieged in 1408 during the confusion of the [[Papal Schism]] by the [[condottiere]] [[Braccio da Montone]], and later heavily damaged by [[Cesare Borgia]], Deruta was plundered by [[Braccio Baglioni]], the master of Perugia. Thus in 1531, when the Papal forces of [[Pope Paul III]] ousted the [[Baglioni|Baglioni family]] from Perugia in the brief war over salt taxes locally called the "Salt War" (''Guerra del Sale''), Deruta sided with the papacy against Perugia, an alliance that gained it a reduction in taxes. With the papal reduction of Perugia, the region settled down to uneventful history as part of the [[Papal States]]. The local clay was good for ceramics, whose production began in the [[Early Middle Ages]], but found its artistic peak in the 15th and early 16th century, with highly characteristic local styles, such as the "Bella Donna" plates with conventional portraits of beauties, whose names appear on fluttering [[banderole]]s with flattering inscriptions. The lack of fuel enforced low firing temperatures, but from the beginning of the 16th century, Deruta compensated with its metallic lustre glazes in golds and ruby red. In the 16th century Deruta produced the so-called "Rafaellesque" ware, decorated with fine arabesques and ''grottesche'' on a fine white ground. Deruta, with Gubbio and Urbino, produced some of the finest Italian maiolica. Deruta was the birthplace of [[Girolamo Diruta]], an organist, music theorist, and composer. The town's outstanding work of art is [[Perugino]]'s fresco of Saints Romano and Rocco. ==Main sights== The historic town center, features the Gothic Church of San Francesco built in 1388. A visit to Deruta is not complete without a stop at the municipal hall, the Palazzetto Municipale, which dates from about 1300, located on the Piazza dei Consoli (the "Square of the Consuls"). In addition to the usual governmental offices, the municipal hall houses a stunning ''Museum of Ceramics'', an art gallery (the Pinacoteca), and a capacious atrium in which one can view a variety of archaeological finds, some of which date to Neolithic times. The art gallery's holdings consist of a fresco by [[Perugino]], depicting ''San Romano and San Rocco'' (1476), and the collection donated by a local patron, Lione Pascoli, which includes works by [[Niccolò Alunno|Niccolò di Liberatore, called Alunno]], [[Giovan Battista Gaulli]], [[Sebastiano Conca]], [[Francesco Trevisani]], [[Antonio Amorosi]], [[Francesco Graziani]] and [[Pieter Van Bloemen]]. The gallery also houses works received from various Deruta churches including San Francesco, Sant' Antonio, the Defunti di Ripabianca and the Ospedale San Giacomo. The church of ''Sant'Antonio'', with frescoes by [[Bartolommeo Caporali|Bartolommeo]] and [[Giovanni Battista Caporali]], rises at the end of a narrow street, Via [[Mastro Giorgio]]. Another church worth seeing is the ''Madonna del Divino Amore'' on Piazza Cavour. Along the Tiberina road, at the foot of the old town, yet another church&mdash;the Madonna delle Piagge&mdash;is clad in a colorful array of ceramic tiles, which give one a sense of the entire history of Deruta [[ceramiche]]. ==References== *[http://www.comune.deruta.pg.it/ Official Comune di Deruta (City of Deruta) website] (in Italian) *[http://www.montitrasimeno.umbria.it/cmtrasimeno/en/comuni/deruta/storia.html Borough of deruta: the history] (in English) *[http://www.setteangeli.com/inlovewithitaly-vol6.aspx In Love with Italy -Deruta-Edition 6] (In English) *[http://www.schoolofceramics.org/ Deruta International School Of Ceramics] *[http://www.derutart.com/ DerutArt fine italian Ceramics] *[http://www.derutanews.it/ Deruta and Ceramics News under the Patronage of the Deruta Borough Municipality] (In English and Italian) *[http://www.art1st.net/ The Deruta Ceramists Network] (In English and Italian) <br> {{Province of Perugia}} [[Category:Hilltowns in Italy]] [[Category:Cities and towns in Umbria]] [[de:Deruta]] [[eo:Deruta]] [[fr:Deruta]] [[it:Deruta]] [[nl:Deruta]] [[ja:デルータ]] [[nap:Deruta]] [[pms:Deruta]] [[pl:Deruta]] [[pt:Deruta]] [[vo:Deruta]]