Frutta

DESCRIPTION

A 10″ hand-painted pasta and soup plate in the Frutta pattern, full design, made in Castelli, Abruzzo. Frutta is a fruit design painted for several generations by the Pardi family of Castelli.

The rimmed shape is the Italian way to serve pasta — shallow enough to twirl against, deep enough for soup, and wide enough that the painted rim still shows once the bowl is full. That is why the pattern is worth having on this piece in particular.

Castelli matters more at Biordi than at any other shop carrying Italian ceramics: it is the town Emilio Biordi came from before founding Biordi Art Imports in San Francisco in 1946.

The small imperfections such as the difference in color, shape, diameter or small bubbles that form inside, do not constitute a defect but testify that it is actually an artisanal product.

Specifications

Dimensions: 10″ diameter
Material: Hand-painted Castelli majolica
Made in: Castelli, Abruzzo
Workshop: Painted by the Pardi family of Castelli
Pattern: Frutta, full design
Heritage: Castelli, in the Apennines below the Gran Sasso, and the home town of Biordi founder Emilio Biordi
Care: Hand-wash recommended · Food safe · Not dishwasher, microwave or oven safe
Sold as: individual
Mixes with: Frutta simplified, Rosa, and plain white dinnerware

Questions buyers ask

Is this for pasta or for soup?
Both. The rimmed shape is the standard Italian pasta plate — shallow with a wide painted rim — and it holds soup equally well.

What is the difference between full design and simplified?
Same pattern, same painters. The full design carries the fruit across the face; the simplified version leaves more white. They are made to be used together.

Why does Biordi carry so much from Castelli?
Because Emilio Biordi, who founded the shop in San Francisco in 1946, came from Castelli.

Can it go in the dishwasher?
Hand-washing is recommended. Castelli majolica is food safe but should not go in the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven.

Is this a good Christmas gift?
Yes. A Frutta pasta plate hand-painted by the Pardi family in Castelli is the piece that comes out for the holiday pasta or soup every year. Order by December 15, 2026 for ground shipping in time for Christmas, or add Florentine gift wrap at checkout and we’ll send it ready to give.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes, and often a better one than dinner plates — pasta plates are the piece couples actually reach for, and fewer people think to give them.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes, as a pair or a set of four.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco’s source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). Pieces are bought directly from the Italian workshops that make them — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati among them. Nothing comes through a distributor, and staff can tell you who painted your piece and where.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Customization and personalization are available on select pieces. Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, Geribi, and CF Deruta accept special orders — a name, date, or occasion painted on the piece, or a different size or shape in the workshop’s existing pattern. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or [email protected].

Artisan Story

Frutta — A fruit pattern of Castelli origin, painted for several generations by the Pardi family.

Castelli, Abruzzo — Castelli sits on a ridge of the Apennines in the shadow of the Gran Sasso and has been one of Italy’s most celebrated ceramic towns for centuries. It is also the town Emilio Biordi came from, the founder of Biordi Art Imports.