My favorite coffee at Starbucks? An Italian Roast, of course! Deep, rich and flavorful, I like it brewed so you can stand a spoon in it. The aroma reminds me of some of the small Italian cafes and coffeehouses I visit on my buying trips, and I love this daily reminder of my many journeys to Italy.
And the perfect mug for this treat is one of my beautiful Italian Majolica mugs from Franco Mari:
Over the last 30 years, Franco Mari has combined the basics of classical Majolica creation with a modern vision to create a variety of stunningly beautiful styles of ceramics. His passion for his art, melded with his own inspiring vision, has brought to life some absolutely thrilling items of Majolica.
On a visit to his showroom, Franco's wife Rita provided us with an in-depth review of the numerous lines and styles created by Franco. As we became familiar with the styles and details, we developed a similar fascination with the origins of some of the names used for his creations.
For example, the Mesa Verde style was created during one of Franco's visits to Colorado, and was inspired by the scenery and environment. His line of Gladys Alaska was named after a loyal client named Gladys who lives in Alaska. There proved to be many styles, colors and optional shapes to choose from with Franco Mari's creations.
As Rita continued to show us more items, we noticed that many of the different lines compliment each other, and mixed-style table settings work just as well with those of a single design. This benefit facilitates choosing from different styles as one completes a collection.
As the majority of Mari's items are made to order, it is common to have a signature or customized inscription on the bottom of the items. This is easily done with a small 10% charge for personalization.
And the perfect mug for this treat is one of my beautiful Italian Majolica mugs from Franco Mari:
Over the last 30 years, Franco Mari has combined the basics of classical Majolica creation with a modern vision to create a variety of stunningly beautiful styles of ceramics. His passion for his art, melded with his own inspiring vision, has brought to life some absolutely thrilling items of Majolica. On a visit to his showroom, Franco's wife Rita provided us with an in-depth review of the numerous lines and styles created by Franco. As we became familiar with the styles and details, we developed a similar fascination with the origins of some of the names used for his creations.
For example, the Mesa Verde style was created during one of Franco's visits to Colorado, and was inspired by the scenery and environment. His line of Gladys Alaska was named after a loyal client named Gladys who lives in Alaska. There proved to be many styles, colors and optional shapes to choose from with Franco Mari's creations. As Rita continued to show us more items, we noticed that many of the different lines compliment each other, and mixed-style table settings work just as well with those of a single design. This benefit facilitates choosing from different styles as one completes a collection. As the majority of Mari's items are made to order, it is common to have a signature or customized inscription on the bottom of the items. This is easily done with a small 10% charge for personalization.
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