Deruta Ceramics Florence. The local clay was good for ceramics, whose production began in the Early Middle Ages with designs that derived from the orient, but found its artistic peak in the 15th and early 16th century with highly characteristic local styles. The Deruta technique became famous in Italy through ceramics manufacture in Deruta - a small town of 8085 inhabitants in the province of Perugia, 15km from Perugia and 150km from Rome. Deruta is famous for ceramics manufacture. Some of the walls of the ancient fortress still remain, together with the arches of three gates to the city – Porta Stant’Angelo being the main gate, Porta Perugina and Porta del Borgo. The mediaeval streets lead you into the historical town center. Here you also find two towers of the civic hall and the bell tower of the gothic church of San Francesco