History of the Museum

History of the Museum ↓

Guide of the museum of the province of Ravenna, edition 2001 ↓

The International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza was founded in September 1908 at the conclusion of the great International Exhibition dedicated to Evangelista Torricelli that hosted the products of many Italian and European manufacturers. The donation of ceramic works by the exhibitors formed the original nucleus of the Museum, which was gradually enriched with other ceramic works. The main proponent of its establishment was Gaetano Ballardini, director of the Museum until 1953. The growth of the institute was interrupted in May 1944, when a bombing raid caused its almost complete destruction with serious and irreparable losses in the collections and archival material. “Post fata Resurgo” was the motto for the reconstruction. With strong determination, the help of collaborators and the Faenza community, and thanks to the support of a dense network of national and international contacts, Ballardini himself reorganised the collections and gave new impetus to the life of the museum. The original aims expressed in the museum statute – to acquire, conserve and above all promote ceramic production – have remained current to this day.

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