The Faenza “Garofano” Carnation pattern is a true Italian classic from the renowned city of Faenza. Faenza, culturally defined as the City of Ceramics, lies 30 miles south of Bologna in the northeastern part of Italy. While an important agricultural and industrial centre, it owes its renown to ceramics. History has it that Marco Polo (Venezia 1254-1324) brought the Garofano pattern from the Orient in 1279 (along with the pasta). Please note that this is the only dinnerware collection we carry that does NOT have a ''Pure White'' background glazing due to the fact that this high-end collection is manufactured using the same color tones and design just like the original antique pieces and the background is a very (very) light Blue. Artistica's dinnerware products are double-fired, durable, and 100% Food-Safe. They are also manufactured with Food-Safe glazes and safe color pigments and inspected and tested to comply with FDA standards.