Based on an age-old tradition, cotto is the result of a subtle alchemy of water, earth, and fire. Relying on know-how passed down from one generation to the next, Fornace Brioni produces earthenware exclusively by hand, utilizing the finest clays slowly deposited by sedimentation on the floodplain of the Po River.

Founded in 1920 and now at its fourth generation with Alessio and Alberto Brioni, the firm has always been a leader in the restoration of traditional floors. The two brothers now look to the future, investing in research and development involving infinite new interpretations of cotto, while preserving a strong bond with history.

Fornace Brioni produces cotto by hand, starting with a mixture of only clay and water, fired at high temperatures. Cotto has the special characteristics of a hand-crafted product: every piece is different from the others.

Appointed as the brand’s artistic director in 2016, Cristina Celestino began with an erudite reinterpretation of the history of the product, to investigate its aesthetic potential, removing the more rhetorical connotations and bringing out its vivid, unique identity. Focusing on the charm of the Renaissance heritage of cotto, she has worked in an original way on geometric shapes and bas-reliefs, sizes, and combinations of formats, exploring the fine line between crafts and design.