RAKU COURSE IN TUSCANY
A 10 day NAKED RAKU, PIT FIRING and BUCCHERO COURSE
in SORANO TUSCANY with MARA FUNGHI
19th to 28th July 2013
This was my introduction to overseas pottery courses and I have to say it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It certainly whetted my appetite for more. Combining it with a personal vacation in the local region was a gem of a decision soaking up the best of what Tuscany had to offer and finishing up with the 10 day course.
SORANO is a little medieval mountain village, one of the most evocative regions of the 'alta Maremma', a rich archeological area, tuffa territory with its countless Etruscan tombs and incredible unspoiled landscapes. In itself, an unbelievably inspiring environment. Wow!
We stayed on a wonderful organic farm, along with 600 sheep, an olive grove, small orchard, vineyard and lots of tasty home grown produce. Needless to say, the owner produced his own olive oil, cheese, fruit and veg and of course “vino”, not to mention his highly volatile GRAPPA. This we sampled on many occasions in his unique wine cellar burrowed underneath the hillside, in an ancient Etruscan Tomb, perfect 12 deg. all year round. Unbelievable! There are hundreds of Etruscan tombs scattered throughout this area.
Our pottery course took place on this lovely organic farming property, in an ancient converted cow barn. This was as unbelievably clean as it was incredibly rustic.
Normally a class would cater for up to 10 students. Being all the way from Australia, Mara made an absolutely magnanimous decision to close the normal class and cater solely for the three of us, Bev, John (my husband) and myself. The course was specifically designed around our personal requirements. Naked Raku, Horse Hair and of course Pit Firing was high on our list of priorities but Bucchero, the ancient Etruscan method of firing was also something we wanted to pursue. It was a strict timetable as Mara is very meticulous, but when we stopped for lunch.....wow, lots of farm fresh produce, meats, fruits and yummy local delicacies. Although the course was 10 days, they were half days which left us time to discover the local area and nearby villages or a dip in the pool under the hot Tuscan sun in the afternoons.
The course was absolutely wonderful, Mara was an incredibly warm and sharing person and a very patient instructor, as John and Bev spoke no Italian so there was a lot of translation toing and froing. Being able to speak Italian was an absolute bonus on this trip and course, not as fluent as I'd like, but certainly adequate to get by.
This was an experience difficult to express. It was a total experience - the farm stay, the course, the culture, the isolation, the history and the personalities involved. The sense of privilege was very strong! The warmth and generosity was overwhelming, the ancestral pride and selfless sharing very moving; a learning experience in every sense.
