The majolica tiles lining the back wall in the Goethehaus kitchen are antique Neapolitan “riggiole” from the Giustiniani factory.
Each tile is a square 20 cm. on a side and 2 cm. thick; four tiles form a central eight-pointed cobalt-blue star with a fluid and dynamic line, constructed by means of spiral and lobed modules typical of the late Baroque Campania repertoire; it denotes a graphic mastery typical of Neapolitan workshops of the 18th century. The contours are marked by blue and black fillets, energetically defining its graphic course. A wavy brown frame, in the “mixtilinear” taste, encloses a
The individual tiles are executed freehand, based on a model-guide, as denoted by the small differences in execution, differences in touch and color intensity, and variations in pattern, which make each tile unique, far from the cold uniformity of industrial majolica.
The Goethehaus’s star-shaped irises are depicted in the photograph in Guido Donatone’s volume, The Neapolitan Riggiola. Majolica floor and wall tiles from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. , Grimaldi & C. Publishers, which reports classic examples of Campanian manufactures.
Each tile bears the characteristic “GIUSTINIANI” mark stamped into the paste on the tetro.
Southern riggiola between art, history and identity: the Giustiniani tiles and the star motif
Giustiniani majolica with the star motif ranks among the most representative types of southern ceramics. The motif finds mixed origins-Iberian, Moorish and Neapolitan-through contaminations filtered through the workshops of Vietri and Naples, with obvious references to Portuguese azulejos in the use of blue and white.
In fact, the star shape plays a prominent role, not only as an ornamental module but also as the most emblematic type, almost an identity signature of Southern Italy, a symbol of its artistic history, taste and material culture. It is often formed by groups of four tiles that make up a single symmetrical figure. The star takes on symbolic and decorative values at the same time: it recalls ancient cosmological patterns and geometric perfection; it combines formal rigor and vibrant pictorial taste, characteristic of Neapolitan workshops; it lends itself as a module for large surfaces, thanks to its radial weave, transforming itself into an astral sign, a visual center that structures the entire floor layout.
Majolica floors, often consisting of a unified representation (Earthly Paradise, Sacred Scene, etc.), are one of the highest expressions of decorative art in Southern Italy between the 17th and 19th centuries. They combine craftsmanship, graphic imagination and a compositional ability that made riggiola not just a covering, but a true architectural language, capable of qualifying sacred and profane spaces. Therefore, since the Baroque age, riggiole became a defining element of aristocratic palaces, villas with scenic gardens and women’s convent complexes, helping to define an aesthetic in which color, rhythm and light create immersive and unified environments. Indeed, the decorated floor is conceived as a continuous surface, comparable to a ceramic carpet, in which repeated modules generate a visual texture rich in symbolism. Thus southern decorative ceramics transform floors into works of environmental art.
Historical examples of the use of the star motif
Numerous places of art and architecture in the Mezzogiorno preserve extraordinary evidence of the star-shaped decorative module, successfully adapted to both noble and religious contexts, keeping its aesthetic and symbolic value intact.
1. Villa Rosebery, Posillipo – Naples – Reception Hall.
The majolica floor of one of the halls of Villa Rosebery, the splendid presidential residence overlooking Posillipo, features the rhythmic and luminous star pattern, which blends perfectly with the 19th-century furnishings and creates a refined texture, in which the cobalt blue stands out against the light background with an effect of balance and understated elegance. The star module here becomes a code of representation, consistent with the institutional dignity of the villa, and testifies to the continuity of the Neapolitan ceramic tradition even in contexts of the highest importance.
2. Cloister of the convent of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, Palermo – Sicily – Eighteenth-century majolica floor.
In the cloister of the Dominican women’s convent of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria in Palermo’s Piazza Pretoria, the star-patterned riggiole floor provides a magnificent example of the dialogue between sacred architecture, urban landscape and ceramic decoration. The star pattern, here made in vivid alternations of blue and yellow, produces a vibrant effect under the Sicilian light, almost a geometric sea that accompanies the processional path around the large central fountain. The star motif, thus reinterpreted, becomes a spiritual element: the endless repetition of the figure suggests rhythm, meditation, order – qualities that are perfectly integrated into the convent environment.
3 – Palazzo Impellizzeri di San Giacomo – Noto, SR, Sicily – Majolica floor.
Mausoleum of Sidi Ben Arous – Tunis
The presence of the star motif in the Mausoleum of Sidi Ben Arous (Arabic: زاوية سيدي أحمد بن عروس), in the heart of the Tunis medina, demonstrates the eastern origin of the decorative design. The mausoleum was built in 1437 during the Hafsidi reign and then remodeled in 1654 by Hammouda Pasha Bey.
