Vietri

You never know when inspiration may strike. Or where. But for Lee Gravely and her daughters, Susan and Frances, the start of something big happened while they were on a family vacation to the Amalfi Coast. That's where the idea for the Vietri brand was born. These women were inspired to share the hand-crafted elegance of Italian dinnerware with the world. Their travels showed them a whole new array of functional and exquisite ideas for the dining table.

This unexpected rush of entrepreneurial spark occurred when the Gravelys started to notice how the beauty and unique qualities to the hand-painted plates in their hotel were unlike any they had seen before. They believed this quality of craftsmanship would be revered by the people whom they knew would appreciate such dedication to detail - their family and closest friends. Every meal they enjoyed on these plates enriched the culinary experience.

Lee, Susan, and Frances set out to find the top designer of these gorgeous plates and soon they were able to track down the owner of the factory where the incredible pieces were manufactured. The owner of the factory, Don Vincenzo Solimene, showed them how this exceptional dinnerware and flatware was made. Generations of expertise from skilled Italian artisans were shaping, painting, glazing, and firing every piece by hand. This was art that people would search high and low to find but remain unsatisfied in their quest to reproduce the exact aesthetic of this dinnerware type unseen in the United States.

The Gravelys vowed to bring this charm and refinement to America once they realized that Mr. Solimene had not made these pieces accessible to a wider audience. Lee, Susan, and Frances wanted to connect the skills of Mr. Solimene's artisans with the rest of the world and so they placed orders to purchase a variety of pieces depicting patterns and images that exemplified the quality and artistry that drew them to seek out Mr. Solimene's factory in the first place.

These pieces formed the basis of the very first Vietri dinnerware line, best known as the Campagna collection.

Returning home, the Gravelys shared what they had discovered in Italy with friends and loved ones. Lee and her daughters were correct in their assessment - the reaction was unanimous among friends and family, all of whom wanted to own this dinnerware to put on their own dining table each and every night. They saw this fine art as a way to connect with those who were seated among them, enhancing the dining experience be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Entertaining guests or feeding immediate family, the Gravelys knew they were onto something from the start.

This is how the Vietri brand was brought to life.

Before the Gravelys returned to the United States, they made offers to share Mr. Solimene's dinnerware pieces as distributors in the United States. The women turned their collective attention to learning how to operate an import business. That meant educating themselves on placing orders, understanding the value of each piece, the best ways to transport them from Italy and so on.

That wasn't all. While the Gravelys were still learning what things cost to run this enterprise from shipping costs to purchasing cardboard boxes in bulk, they were out in the field carrying Mr. Solimene's hand-crafted dinnerware to demonstrate the quality and beauty of each piece in person.

Now you can experience the same quality refinement that Lee Gravely and her daughters first discovered on the Amalfi Coast all those years ago. We are proud to feature the Vietri collection as part of the Belle and June catalog.

Vietri continues to employ only the best Italian artisans who craft and paint every piece by hand. Their materials consist of the finest quality clay found throughout the Campania, Umbria, and Tuscany regions in Italy. The most reliable and time-tested glazes and glass are also used, offering a line of functional and beautiful dinnerware pieces that you will be proud to feature on your dining table.

Vietri dinnerware sets continue to exude the same luxurious glamour and elegance that the Gravelys first discovered nearly forty years ago. The Vietri brand remains steadfast about crafting products that are inspired by the natural allure of the Italian countryside while staying enthusiastic about finding new inspirations to deliver a range of products for the home. You can see this in every Vietri dinner plate, every Vietri glass, and Vietri bowl.

The Vietri brand started with the Campagna line and it has continued to grow and thrive into a multitude of Italian dinnerware collections that provide dinnerware, serving ware, flatware, and a whole host of other pieces that belong in the most discerning households.

We are proud to offer our customers these lines of the Vietri label as we believe this brand captures the rich tradition and culture of Italy.

Before you make any purchase of Vietri Dinnerware from Belle and June, we invite you to read some of the following tips for buying dinnerware. Think of these as a short buyer’s guide for knowing how to choose the dinnerware pieces for that special occasion when entertaining company or serving the family dinner on a busy weeknight.

Buying the right amount of dinnerware

How many places do you plan to set at your table? If this is a larger number, you may want to consider purchasing a dinnerware set or two as opposed to separate pieces. That way you can always accommodate multiple guests at one time. Size is also another factor to keep in mind. Vietri dinnerware is available in all sizes to make it easy to store and use your dinnerware whenever necessary. If space is at a premium in your home, you might think about buying smaller sized pieces whereas a home with all kinds of storage may wish to get both larger and smaller items.

Durability

Great value in a piece is defined by the use you receive from it. When you purchase a piece of Vietri dinnerware, you can be sure you are getting long-lasting quality. But take your lifestyle into consideration as well. A piece made of porcelain is going to be more resistant to chips and cracks than a stoneware or earthenware piece. Porcelain is supposed to give the appearance of fragility but, in reality, it’s quite reliable. Those other materials, while much heavier, tend to chip more easily, although they are no less tenacious. Vietri has made all of their dinnerware pieces to be functional and resilient in even the most active and busy households.

We are big fans of Vietri and we invite you to browse the entire collection to see what we have in store for our most discerning customers. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please email us at your convenience and we can help you find the perfect Vietri set.