The appointment with " Mani di Sardegna ", the format signed by Unionesarda.it which tells the life, history and work of the island's craftsmen and women, is back again this month. The guest of the sixth episode is the ceramist Mercedes Mariotti who, driven by her passion for art and for Cagliari, opened " Contus de Arrejolas ", the small tile museum, in the heart of the Castello district.
There, on display, is a collection of riggiole from the historic district and from across the city. For the most part they were produced in the Neapolitan area and in Sicily. But some, older and more precious, come from Liguria and Spain. Ceramics which, with their decorations, colors and shapes, help visitors to imagine the life and everyday life of a Cagliari that no longer exists today. But not only that: they reconstruct the stories of distant factories and businesses, pushing the observer to take an imaginary journey back in time.
It all began in 1992 with the "Far ceramic di Mercedes Mariotti" laboratory, then the artisan activity reinvented itself and changed its guise: from "ex novo" creation we moved on to the valorization of treasures signed by others. «But my work hasn't stopped, I make small replicas of the most famous tiles. Tourists love them and my museum is increasingly an appreciated destination. Plans for the future? We'll see, for now I'll dedicate myself to the "new arrivals": by now the word has spread and people are bringing me new "finds". The story therefore does not stop, there is still so much to discover", confesses Mariotti.