The old chemist's shop in Roccavaldina is well-known all over the world thanks to its rich extraordinary set of pharmaceutical vases.
The collection comprehends no fewer than 238 items of various shapes and sizes arranged on characteristic wooden shelves, the overall result of which is impressive.
Unfortunately, a little part of the vases has been scattered in the many transfers of ownership throughout the years and some rare items can now be found in museums both in Italy and abroad o in private collections.
We think that originally the set was composed of more than 350 vases. Among the ones that are no longer in Roccavaldina, there are : an “ albarello” (inv.n.6222), now at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, coming from the Mereghi donation; two “ albarelli”, now at the Waddesdon Manor in England;three “albarelli” at the Anett Castle; two “albarelli” now at the Cluny Museum in France and divulged by Giacomotti (no.1086-1087); a little jug, now at the museum “ Duca di Martina in villa Floridiana in Naples; a jar with relief decorations on the handles and a mixed decoratio representing the historical event of the Gauls submitting to Caesar after Ariovisto was defeated, now at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza (inv.no.16722); a big jar “apota” with decorations representing the biblical episode in which Moses makes the water well from a rock, lately displayed at the Antiques Biennial Exhibition in Florence (1991); a big jar similar to the one described above, now the property of Antonello Governale, an expert in ceramics from Palermo, representing the mythological episode of the murder of Niobe's children.
The chemist's shop was founded in 1628, when Father Gregorio Bottaro , a priest from Roccavaldina, gave tha valuable set of vases to the Holy Communion Confraternity whose symbol, a picture with monstrance, can still be seen in the shop.
Father Bottaro had bought the collection from a merchant, Francesco Benenato, who had inherited it from the descendants of Cesare Candia, a spice-merchant from Messina for whom the whole set had originally been produced: According to what can be read on some of the vases, they were made by Antonio Patanazzi, a clever master ceramist who worked in the family workshop, one of the most important of Urbino, around 1580. In the 16 th century, chemists largely used special pottery vases which were intended to contain syrups, ointments, oils, fats and medicinal waters. However, with the passing of time, many vases have been destroyed, dismembered or scattered; so, they have lost that harmony as a whole which was one of their peculiar characteristics.
The collection of Roccavaldina, on the contrary, still keeps its peculiarity intact and is maybe a unique example in its way. That is why the chemist's shop is very important for the study and the comprehension of the history of pottery. In Italy , it is the only collection that can be compared to the one in the most famous chemist's shop of Santa Casa di Loreto made for the Ducal Palace in Urbino, where it is still kept. The two collections complete one another perfectly since they both are the product of Urbino workshops: in fact the former was produced in the Fontanas' workshop, the latter in the Patanazzis'.
We think that originally the set was composed of more than 350 vases. Among the ones that are no longer in Roccavaldina, there are : an “ albarello” (inv.n.6222), now at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, coming from the Mereghi donation; two “ albarelli”, now at the Waddesdon Manor in England;three “albarelli” at the Anett Castle; two “albarelli” now at the Cluny Museum in France and divulged by Giacomotti (no.1086-1087); a little jug, now at the museum “ Duca di Martina in villa Floridiana in Naples; a jar with relief decorations on the handles and a mixed decoratio representing the historical event of the Gauls submitting to Caesar after Ariovisto was defeated, now at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza (inv.no.16722); a big jar “apota” with decorations representing the biblical episode in which Moses makes the water well from a rock, lately displayed at the Antiques Biennial Exhibition in Florence (1991); a big jar similar to the one described above, now the property of Antonello Governale, an expert in ceramics from Palermo, representing the mythological episode of the murder of Niobe's children. 
Father Bottaro had bought the collection from a merchant, Francesco Benenato, who had inherited it from the descendants of Cesare Candia, a spice-merchant from Messina for whom the whole set had originally been produced: According to what can be read on some of the vases, they were made by Antonio Patanazzi, a clever master ceramist who worked in the family workshop, one of the most important of Urbino, around 1580. In the 16 th century, chemists largely used special pottery vases which were intended to contain syrups, ointments, oils, fats and medicinal waters. However, with the passing of time, many vases have been destroyed, dismembered or scattered; so, they have lost that harmony as a whole which was one of their peculiar characteristics. 
The collection of Roccavaldina, on the contrary, still keeps its peculiarity intact and is maybe a unique example in its way. That is why the chemist's shop is very important for the study and the comprehension of the history of pottery. In Italy , it is the only collection that can be compared to the one in the most famous chemist's shop of Santa Casa di Loreto made for the Ducal Palace in Urbino, where it is still kept. The two collections complete one another perfectly since they both are the product of Urbino workshops: in fact the former was produced in the Fontanas' workshop, the latter in the Patanazzis'. 