Le Fornaci site in Riva San Vitale

Le Fornaci will be exceptionally open on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in the morning, but will be

closed from Friday, July 3 to Friday, July 10, 2026 inclusive

Contact us by email at info@lefornaci.ch or by phone at +41 91 648 19 27 for appointments or urgent matters.

We are delighted to host, throughout the summer season, the collective art installation The Ceramic Chicken Coop, conceived by ceramic artist Rosi Ghielmini at her Atelier dell’Inglese in Riva San Vitale, in collaboration with Le Fornaci, using a variety of clays and glazes.

Works created by: Rosi and Aurora Ghielmini, Luigi Santos, Michele Marbach, Yael Fortunato, Cristina Decarli, Chiara and Lucia Polli, and Giuliana Reggi (Faenza).

Metal elements by Bernardo Bernaschina.

On display from 20 June 2026.

At the end of the summer, the installation will be transferred to the Microcosmo residence of the I GIRASOLI Association in Trieste, a venue for social workshops, where, together with other ceramic hens created by various Italian ceramic studios, the real chicken coop will become a social chicken coop.

Visit Le Fornaci to discover the installation and find inspiration to create your own ceramic hen during the Easter course planned for 2027.

We are pleased to host in the Fornaci garden during the summer season the collective artistic frame Art, Sustainability and Participation, conceived by the Riva San Vitale Parents’ Group with the support of the Riva San Vitale School Institute and Carpenteria Larghi of Riva San Vitale.

Using fabric scraps and textile offcuts, pupils from the kindergarten and primary school created a collective composition distinguished by its expressive spontaneity, vibrant colours and originality.

Come and admire the frame in person and strike a pose for your photographic portrait.

With a striking visual impact, the Obvara technique involves the final firing of pre-fired pieces in a small outdoor gas kiln. The objects are removed at around 800°C and immersed in a mixture of water, flour, and yeast prepared three days earlier, then left to cool slowly. Thanks to this process, evocative decorative effects with ochre, brown, and dark tones appear on the surfaces of the pieces, making each one unique and one of a kind.

Do you have ceramic objects you would like to decorate using the Obvara technique?

Come to Le Fornaci di Riva San Vitale on Saturday, May 23, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

To withstand thermal shock, the pieces must meet the following requirements:

fine chamotte refractory clay, smoothed, already bisque-fired.

Maximum dimensions: 25 x 25 x 25 cm

Price: from CHF 20

Foto: ©Antje Bargmann

At Fornaci, you will find someone ready to welcome you on the following days (public holidays excluded):

• Monday 9:00–13:00
• Wednesday 9:00–13:00
• Thursday 9:00–13:00
• Friday 9:00–13:00

for deliveries, pickups and information.

Contact us to arrange an appointment.

On Thursday, 16 April 2026, the Environment, Territory and Energy Committee, chaired by Giovanni Berardi, met at the Riva San Vitale kilns.

The Le Fornaci Foundation is pleased to announce that, starting today, the 2026 courses are available online. In the dedicated section, you will find the full program from January to July, along with the international courses and special workshops scheduled for the second half of the year.

The calendar is constantly being updated: new initiatives will be added throughout the summer to offer you a rich, dynamic, and continually engaging program.