Italy, Castelli

Castelli is situated at the foot of the aptly named Monte Camicia, dominated by rocks of the Gran Sasso, the highest mountain of the Apennines. The snow insulates Castelli for many months of the year and residents had started to use clay from a nearby landslide to make pottery before the Renaissance. The result is a unique style taken up by other ceramics centres of Tuscany and Umbria. To visit the church of San Donato with its roof, known as the "third heaven", made up of over 800 painted tiles each one different, tells of the contribution of all the inhabitants of Castelli to this achievement .