How MOD was born, the story of the founders: Delia, Antonio and their family.
Delia, a charismatic woman, left her job as a painter at the Ars Artigiana factory, where her husband was a supervisor, and decided to found her small workshop, "Ceramiche Delia," located on the ground floor of their home, initially used as a garage. In 1963, their second daughter, Grazia, was born. In 1970, Antonio decided to leave his role as supervisor and resign from the factory to help his wife transform the small workshop "Ceramiche Delia" into the new company "MOD-MAIOLICHE ORIGINALI DERUTA"!
Working 12-14 hours a day, their first months were immediately successful, with customers from the Amalfi Coast ordering thousands of ceramic pieces! Subsequently, they hired more workers, and Ivan, now fourteen years old, went to school in the morning and worked in the company in the afternoon. A year later, Antonio became seriously ill, and for a while, it seemed he wouldn't survive. Delia and Ivan spent those years going back and forth between the hospital and the company, working tirelessly to complete the orders. After many operations, Antonio fully recovered, and in 1979, the family bought a building and moved the business to its current location on Via Tiberina in Deruta.
Ivan was fully involved in the factory, along with 15 other employees. The market was initially mostly Italian, with tourist shops on the Amalfi Coast, Liguria, Elba, and some wholesale shops in Veneto, Lazio, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Grazia, at sixteen, was not interested in joining the family business, but at 21, she became pregnant, married, and started working in the company with her husband and brother. A few years later, Grazia's second daughter, Selene, was born.
At 26, Grazia decided to return to university, and at 30, after completing her studies, she wrote a book on Deruta ceramics of the 20th century. In 1996, after divorcing, she returned to the family business, replacing her ex-husband and helping her brother. Gradually, sales shifted from the domestic market to the international market, with the United States absorbing over 70% of sales.
In 2000, Ivan, Grazia, Antonio, and Delia decided to further expand the company's spaces, adding two floors to the building. One floor was dedicated to kilns and production, while the other housed the Romano Ranieri Ceramics Art School, still active today, offering private courses for experts and beginners. The ground floor was converted into a showroom.
Meanwhile, Ivan's son, Giacomo, began helping his father in the company while attending university. Over time, Giacomo became an integral part of the company full-time, bringing new energy and ideas, while always respecting the family tradition. Some time later, Grazia's daughter, Selene, also became a permanent part of the business, bringing with her the passion to continue the family tradition.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Grazia left us prematurely due to an illness, leading to a change in the company's structure. In 2023, Antonio passed away, followed in 2024 by dear Delia. Despite these losses, Ivan continues to work 10-12 hours a day, alongside Giacomo and Selene, carrying forward the legacy of a lifetime of passion and dedication.
How MOD was born, the story of the founders: Delia, Antonio and their family.
Delia, a charismatic woman, left her job as a painter at the Ars Artigiana factory, where her husband was a supervisor, and decided to found her small workshop, "Ceramiche Delia," located on the ground floor of their home, initially used as a garage. In 1963, their second daughter, Grazia, was born. In 1970, Antonio decided to leave his role as supervisor and resign from the factory to help his wife transform the small workshop "Ceramiche Delia" into the new company "MOD-MAIOLICHE ORIGINALI DERUTA"!
Working 12-14 hours a day, their first months were immediately successful, with customers from the Amalfi Coast ordering thousands of ceramic pieces! Subsequently, they hired more workers, and Ivan, now fourteen years old, went to school in the morning and worked in the company in the afternoon. A year later, Antonio became seriously ill, and for a while, it seemed he wouldn't survive. Delia and Ivan spent those years going back and forth between the hospital and the company, working tirelessly to complete the orders. After many operations, Antonio fully recovered, and in 1979, the family bought a building and moved the business to its current location on Via Tiberina in Deruta.
Ivan was fully involved in the factory, along with 15 other employees. The market was initially mostly Italian, with tourist shops on the Amalfi Coast, Liguria, Elba, and some wholesale shops in Veneto, Lazio, Tuscany, and Piedmont. Grazia, at sixteen, was not interested in joining the family business, but at 21, she became pregnant, married, and started working in the company with her husband and brother. A few years later, Grazia's second daughter, Selene, was born.
At 26, Grazia decided to return to university, and at 30, after completing her studies, she wrote a book on Deruta ceramics of the 20th century. In 1996, after divorcing, she returned to the family business, replacing her ex-husband and helping her brother. Gradually, sales shifted from the domestic market to the international market, with the United States absorbing over 70% of sales.
In 2000, Ivan, Grazia, Antonio, and Delia decided to further expand the company's spaces, adding two floors to the building. One floor was dedicated to kilns and production, while the other housed the Romano Ranieri Ceramics Art School, still active today, offering private courses for experts and beginners. The ground floor was converted into a showroom.
Meanwhile, Ivan's son, Giacomo, began helping his father in the company while attending university. Over time, Giacomo became an integral part of the company full-time, bringing new energy and ideas, while always respecting the family tradition. Some time later, Grazia's daughter, Selene, also became a permanent part of the business, bringing with her the passion to continue the family tradition.
Unfortunately, in 2020, Grazia left us prematurely due to an illness, leading to a change in the company's structure. In 2023, Antonio passed away, followed in 2024 by dear Delia. Despite these losses, Ivan continues to work 10-12 hours a day, alongside Giacomo and Selene, carrying forward the legacy of a lifetime of passion and dedication.