Frutta

DESCRIPTION

An 11″ hand-painted dinner plate in the Frutta pattern, simplified design, made in Castelli, Abruzzo. Frutta is a fruit design painted for several generations by the Pardi family of Castelli.

The simplified design places the fruit more sparingly and leaves more white ground than the full version. It is the easier of the two to use every day, and the better choice if the table already has a lot going on.

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: 11″ diameter
Material: Hand-painted Castelli majolica
Made in: Castelli, Abruzzo
Workshop: Painted by the Pardi family of Castelli
Pattern: Frutta, simplified 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 full design, Rosa, and plain white dinnerware

Questions buyers ask

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

Where does the Frutta pattern come from?
Castelli, a small town on a ridge of the Apennines in Abruzzo and one of Italy’s most celebrated ceramic centers for centuries. The Pardi family has painted these designs there for several generations.

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 dinner plate hand-painted by the Pardi family in Castelli is the kind of piece that comes out for Christmas dinner every year, and the simplified design sits easily on a busy holiday table. 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. Dinner plates are the backbone of a registry, and Frutta is a pattern a couple can add to for decades because the Pardi family has painted it consistently for generations.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes, as a pair or a set of four. A single dinner plate is better given as a wall piece than as tableware.

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.