Italian House Charm: "La Brocca di Gallo" Rooster Pitcher

The famous ceramic Italian Rooster Pitcher, "La Brocca di Gallo", symbolizes good fortune and/or good luck. It is an Italian tradition to give an Italian rooster pitcher to a friend or relative, ideally as a housewarming or wedding gift, to protect them from trespassers and dangers.

The origin of the rooster pitcher dates back to the early Renaissance period in the Republic of Florence in Italy. During this time, two powerful and leading landowning families, the Medici and the Pazzi, were enemies. The Pazzi attempted to assassinate the head of the Medici Family, but the Medicis were warned by the crowing of roosters.

The town of Orvieto in Umbria was the center for production of majolica and these pitchers beginning in the 1300s. Now the majority are produced in Deruta.
Source:
http://www.browsingitaly.com/umbria/la-brocca-di-gallo-rooster-pitcher-italy/4579/