European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                /4oove, merchandise on display inside the Ceramic Pinto Plant. Far left the distinctive exterior of Ceramic Solimene. Left ceramics shops on a Fri s main Street. Doorways of shops that sell them painted Ceramic tile scenes and signs on the sides of buildings and Ceramic faces spitting water in Public fountains. Even the posts that separate the downtown parking lot from a drop of nearly 100 feet into the Beautiful scenery Are decorated with painted Ceramic tiles. The paintings on the plates and tiles vary symmetrical patterns historic events local scenery. Often traced in yellow Green Blue or red Are designs that express a favorite theme of local craftsmen the Mediterranean sunlight or heaven. The latter is a recurring Symbol that can be traced Back to at least the beginning of the 17th Century. While the shape purpose and decorations vary greatly from shop to shop the material remains the same Bianco Vietri a White pottery that when properly worked has a Mother of Pearl glow. There Are 38 Ceramic he artistic he Ceramic artists in Vietri according to a list in a tourist directory of the Amalfi coast the Region in which Vietri is located. The two most important ceramics factories Are Ceramic Solimene and Ceramic Pinto a Young lady who works at the Vietri tourist office said. They Are the largest ceramics factories in Vietri. Ceramic Solimene May also have the distinction of being housed in what More than one enthusiastic shopper described As one of the ugliest buildings  its factory and showroom Are housed in a Structure that seems to consist of several tilted silos or Castle turrets made of glazed Brick All jammed together in a Concrete base. Customers need not enter Solimene s establishment to View its wares. Ample samples Are on display outside set into the base of the building. It s great Chris Leard an avid shopper and tourist said of Ceramic Solimene. To get to the factory from the showroom you just walk up a hallway. There Are some Steps on the Way and there Are dishes and bowls and cups stacked along the Walls and up the Steps. If you find something you like and you want something that will match it ask. The clerk will just Lead you to another shelf pull what you re looking for out wipe the dust off and hand it to  Ceramic Pinto less than a Block away from Solimene is More orthodox in appearance. It has a Ceramic billboard on one Side of an otherwise fairly Normal looking building. It too has a vast inventory of everything from mugs to floor tiles almost anything that can be made of ceramics. Vietri holds a special Appeal for americans living in the Naples area. It s 45 minutes to an hour away said Sandi Weishaupt a two time Vietri shopper. That s Good because even though the prices in Vietri Are much cheaper than what you d pay in the states buying an entire serving for six or 12 can still be expensive. A lot of people might want to buy their dishes a few at a time. That s Why it s so Nice that Vietri s nearby. If you can t buy everything on one trip you can go Back later. There s a part of Perugia about 200 Miles North of Naples tha t has a lot of ceramics stores too but Perugia s four hours  comparison shopping pays dividends in Vietri. Prices for hand painted plates intended for display not for the dining room table ranged from 6,000 to 9,000 lire about $4.60 to $6.90. A pasta bowl with six Matching plates can Cost from 50,000 to 65,000 lire $38.40 to $50. Vietri is easy to reach from Naples. From the naval support activity take the tangential a East past Cap Dichino to Autostrada a3 and follow the signs to Salerno taking the Vietri exit. The exit Road leads to the downtown parking lot which has several ceramics shops just across the Street. The return trip to Naples is a possible area of Contention Between sightseers and shoppers. The Amalfi drive one possible route offers some of the prettiest scenery in Southern Italy according to Many travel and tourist magazines. Taking the Autostrada Back to Naples is the preferred route of the hard Core shopper because Amalfi drive is time consuming time that could otherwise be spent shopping. February 16, 1989 stripes Magazine