It was 1735 when the Marquis Carlo Andrea Ginori started a porcelain factory in his villa in Doccia, just outside Florence, making magnificent porcelain. Over time, its fame grew exponentially and its precious pieces of porcelain for daily use came into the finest homes of Europe, including sets of plates, tea and coffee cups, vases, statuettes, and all else that beautified the table and the entire home. Ginori porcelain was white at first and then over time was embellished with precious gold decorations and then with floral decorations and those inspired by nature, brightened by touches of color.
In 19th century, Ginori porcelain also came into the homes of the family now managing the Principe Hotel & Apartament, including a white enamel basin with a jug, sets of dishes with bird and fish motifs, tea and coffee sets that are white or with exquisite floral designs, complete with a milk pitcher and sugar bowl, statuettes depicting Venus and Napoleon, flower pots with landscape views, fruit bowls, and more.
Some of these pieces are so valuable that other copies can be found at the Porcelain Museum in Florence, located inside the Palazzina del Cavaliere on top of the Boboli Gardens. Among the pieces here are sumptuous cups from 1812 with a gold interior depicting Elisa Bonaparte, at the time Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and a point of pride in the collection of the Principe Hotel & Apartment.
In the museum, which is small but a must-see, you can also admire many other 18th-century and 19th-century Ginori pieces, such as the porcelain sets with flower bunch and tulip motifs and cups with views of Florentine squares based on lithograph models. If you love perusing the works of different manufactories, you’ll also find splendid porcelainware by Capodimonte, Sèvres, Vienna and Meissen.
You can continue your exploration of Florence’s fine artist porcelain at the Richard Ginori Museum at the Manufactory in Doccia, now owned by the Italian government and currently under renovation (to open shortly). This museum holds the collection that Carlo Andrea Ginori himself started in 1754 and expanded over time with the finest pieces made by the eminent company. Starting with the decorated pottery of its early period, the collection continues with copies of classical statues and paintings of the Florentine Renaissance and ends with the ceramics created by the famed Italian designer Gio Ponti in the 1920s and 1930s.
That’s not all. Florence also has a Ginori shop at via de Rondinelli 17, a step away from the Duomo, and in the same historic palazzo that originally held the first shop in 1802. The shop’s warm ambiance features hand-decorated vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows by Tito Chini, a famous Florentine artist of the early 20th century.
An exciting journey to learn about Ginori porcelain starting with the porcelain pieces displayed in the rooms of the Principe Hotel & Apartament.
