Deruta is a hill town and comune in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region of central Italy.
Long known as a center of refined maiolica manufacture, Deruta remains known for its ceramics, which are exported worldwide. It is one of ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
Etymology
According to a traditional interpretation reported by Adone Palmieri, Deruta was formerly called Druida, a name connected with the druids of the Gauls. It was later thought to derive from the participle derutus ("ruined"), in reference to destruction. This explanation is linked to a tradition that, after the burning of Perugia, fugitives took refuge there, leading to the settlement being associated with ruin.
History
Deruta is believed to have very ancient origins, with early names including Druida and later Perugia Vecchia. Historical accounts that it was founded by the Gauls or during the reign of Tarquinius Priscus lack evidence. The location of the modern town does not correspond exactly to the ancient settlement, which is thought to have been on a nearby hill where a few ruins, known as Perugia Vecchia, remain. By 1103 the three parishes already existed.
Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Deruta experienced frequent changes of rulers, as well as repeated attacks and outbreaks of plague.
In 1391, due to ongoing conflicts among nearby cities including Assisi, Todi, Perugia, and Foligno, construction of a fortress began.
In 2021, 836 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality.
Other religious buildings
- Sant'Antonio: church with frescoes by Bartolommeo and Giovanni Battista Caporali, rises at the end of a narrow street, Via Mastro Giorgio.
- Madonna del Divino Amore on Piazza Cavour.
- Madonna delle Piagge church along the Tiberina road, at the foot of the old town, yet another church, clad in a colorful array of ceramic tiles.
Culture
Museo della Ceramica
Established in 1898, the museum is claimed to be the oldest of its kind in Italy. Since 1998 it has been housed in the 14th-century Convent of San Francesco. The museum documents local ceramic production from the medieval period to the 20th century, including a notable section on lustre maiolica, and the more complex 17th-century compendiaria production. The museum also features thematic displays on pharmacy ceramics, 16th-century maiolica floors, and votive plaques inspired by the nearby sanctuary of Madonna dei Bagni.