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The history before our inception

When the hotel hosted ceramics pioneers

The main facade of the Hotel de Charme Laveno illustrates the industrial past of the building, which once housed one of the most important ceramic factories. Founded in 1856 by Revelli, Caspani and Carnelli, the Italian Ceramic Society (S.C.I.), under the artistic direction of renowned personalities, distinguished itself worldwide for its creations that have taken many different forms. Thanks to the merger with the Richard-Ginori company in 1965, the dishes of the society began to be exported overseas and graced the dinner tables of large cruise ships.

While the raw materials and the manual skills of the crafters were a perfect starting point for an important entrepreneurial adventure, the genius of the artistic personalities determined its true success. In this continuous flow of inspiration, the work of the artistic director Guido Andlovitz exchanges with the ideas of the great designer Giò Ponti, who was active in Richard-Ginori even before the merger.

A native of Trieste, he made Laveno his home, putting the art of Lombardy ceramics on the map.
Guido Andlovitz

Artistic director of S.C.I. since the 1920s, Andlovitz made ceramics his form of creative expression. Always starting from the local tradition, he experimented with innovation by designing models of sophisticated humour and refined originality.

The ceramicist out of the box: breaking the rules to create the most unique pieces in the world.
Antonia Campi

Hired in 1947 by S.C.I. as a worker, she was immediately noticed by Andlovitz who gave her the freedom to design new artistic forms. Her objects have soft, supple lines and reflect the artist's constant desire for experimentation.

The artist who inserted classic elements into Laveno’s art of ceramics.
Angelo Biancini

Collaborator of Andlovitz in the artistic direction, he demonstrates his undisputed ability in small, medium and large scale statuary. His works are distinguished by their sinuous forms and the quality of the colour range.

The Liberty hallmark in the S.C.I. production
Giorgio Spertini

His highly decorative skills led him to work at S.C.I from 1877 and in 1907 he is the author of some of the rare examples of Italian Art Nouveau, or Liberty style, ceramics. The star of his creations is his blue glazed ceramic vase and gilded metal frame preserved in the Ceramics Museum of Cerro.

The painter with a passion for a floral style.
Giancarlo Jacopini

Present in the Italian Ceramic Society from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century, he decorates pieces with nineteenth-century landscapes, floral elements and still lifes. His works are now preserved in the Ceramics Museum of Cerro.