Robbia’s vibrant ceramics
The monumental complex of La Verna houses numerous works and reliefs of exceptional artistic value, among which the masterpieces by Andrea della Robbia, nephew of Luca della Robbia, founder of the family business, stand out. The glazed terracotta technique, typical of the Florentine Renaissance, finds one of its finest expressions in this ‘holy mountain’, enriching the sacred spaces with the characteristic contrast between the white of the figures and the blue of the backgrounds.
The secret alchemy of glazing
The Robbia family’s real competitive advantage lay in the ‘secret’ of vitrification. They did not use simple paint, but a chemical mixture of tin, silicon, antimony and metal oxides. Once fired in a kiln at high temperatures, this mixture transformed into an extremely hard glassy layer. This “armour” served not only an aesthetic purpose: it was a technical necessity to protect the porous terracotta from deterioration.
It is precisely for this reason that the Robbiane pieces still shine today with their vibrant and unique colours.