behind the scenes at Fornace Brioni

in a valley not too far from famed Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, Fornace Brioni crafts terracotta tile that graces some of the most prestigious homes and spaces in the world: venerable country homes; upscale urban apartments from Milan to New York; a few palazzi; more than a few design-forward hotels, stores, restaurants. and even the Vatican. 

no surprise, then, that clé collaborated with this fourth-generation, family-run maker of traditional handcrafted terracotta tile (cotto in Italian) to create casale rustico, a soulful yet durable white tile that perfectly captures the rustic elegance of the Italian countryside.

just as they do with the Fornace Brioni + Cristina Celestino and Fornace Brioni + clé collections the artisans of Fornace Brioni craft tile from the fine, iron-rich clay from the floodplain of the River Po, using proprietary molds to shape each piece. air-cured for weeks, and then fired before and after hand-glazing, Fornace Brioni’s cotto is as pure as it gets.

take a close look, and you’ll see a small band of craftspeople using age-old knowledge and skills — marrying them with humility, tenacity, sweat, and grit. there is no glamour. no shiny new factory. just work, heart, family. and lunch every day with mama.

available only at clé in the US.