Buongiorno Ceramica! San Pietro in Lama

A festival born from clay

Buongiorno Ceramica! is the major nationwide festival celebrating Italian artistic and artisanal ceramics, promoted by the AiCC (Italian Association of Ceramic Cities). Over a single weekend in May, more than sixty municipalities across the peninsula—from Faenza to Deruta, from Caltagirone to Grottaglie—simultaneously open their workshops, museums, and squares to share the oldest and most vibrant aspect of Italian craftsmanship with the public. Among these cities is San Pietro in Lama, a village in the province of Lecce nestled in the Valle della Cupa, just a few kilometers from the Salento capital.

The village of imbrici

San Pietro in Lama has a deeply rooted ceramic soul. Its territory is rich in clay deposits, and as early as the 15th century, the village was home to cutumari, the clay masters who shaped tiles, imbrici (roof tiles), and tableware. The imbrici of San Pietro in Lama became so famous that they were prized and exported throughout the Terra d'Otranto. In 2023, the Ministry of Economic Development officially recognized the municipality as a place of ancient and established ceramic tradition, opening its doors to the AiCC and the national network of Ceramic Cities.

Open workshops and live demonstrations

During Buongiorno Ceramica!, the town center transforms into an open-air laboratory. Master potters open their workshops to the public, pottery wheels start spinning along the streets and in the courtyards, and visitors can observe every step of the process up close: from shaping the clay to decoration and firing. It is a unique chance to meet the artisans, discover the secrets of a craft passed down through generations, and get your own hands into the clay.

Beyond ceramics

• Workshops for adults and children, featuring hands-on experiences with the pottery wheel and clay modeling;
• Exhibitions and installations dedicated to local and contemporary production;
• Guided tours of the workshops and sites of the village's ceramic tradition;
• Tastings and food and wine events featuring typical Salento products;
• Music and entertainment throughout the historic center.

Part of a broader national calendar that has hosted over five hundred events across Italy, the San Pietro in Lama leg of the festival is an invitation to discover the artisanal soul of a small Apulian village, where ceramics are not just a memory of the past but a living, shared tradition.