The world’s finest clay comes from Impruneta, a small village nestled in the Tuscan hills a few kilometers from Florence, Italy. Blessed with land that is naturally rich in iron, copper, calcium, and aluminum, the town has been well known for its exceptional quality terra cotta and craftsmanship for centuries. Hard gray earth, as pictured, is mined from the surrounding hills, ground to a powder, and mixed with water to make this coarse bodied clay. It develops its renown pale, pink color after the firing process and is able to withstand extreme temperatures. Durable, robust, frost-proof to -30°F and ruggedly beautiful, this is the highest quality clay in the world.

(Clay from region of Sienna is similar in color to Impruneta clay, but with a finer grain and smoother texture, pots from this region are somewhat easier to produce, which keeps the cost a bit lower. Siena pots are frost-proof to -10°F.

The grade, as well as the way the clay is fired, affects the color, which can range from pale apricot to dusky rose. Mexican terra cotta is typically bright orange. Impruneta clay is geologically old and allows a non-porous product with an infinite

number of shades and colors which are all totally natural. Products produced industrially on the other hand have uniform colors and a high porosity, which do not stand up as well to weather conditions

The soil from northern and central Italy, particularly in the region of Impruneta (Tuscany), is legendary for producing highly durable terra cotta pots. The clay of the Impruneta region is known as “galestro”, producing the strongest, hardest and most long-lasting containers in the world. In addition, Italians fire their terra cotta at approximately 2000°F for 5 to 7 days; this slow, “high firing” ensures that the clay is fully fused, resulting in a legendary product. High quality Italian terra cotta fired at these temperatures will “ring like a bell” and can last a lifetime. 300 year old antique terracotta pots from the Imprunetta region are still being sold.