Once essential objects of daily rural life, today capase, capasoni and ozze have become highly sought-after decorative elements, capable of telling an ancient story of home, family, work, and land. These ceramic containers are not merely jars, but material witnesses to a rural civilization that transformed necessity into beauty.

The Capasa: the intelligence of tradition

The capasa (and its larger version, the capasone) was a terracotta vessel traditionally used to store oil, wine, water and preserved foods such as salted anchovies and capers, dried figs with almonds, and legumes.

In a time without refrigerators or freezers, these containers possessed a remarkable quality:
they were able to maintain a stable internal temperature, preserving food and liquids without alteration.

They were often sealed with a clay plate fixed using a mixture of lime and ash, creating an early form of airtight closure. Near the base, a small outlet allowed the liquid to be drawn off using a wooden tap called a cannedda, or a simple stopper known as a pipulu.

Capase were a fundamental presence in Salento kitchens, alongside pignate (earthenware cooking pots) and hearths, becoming an integral part of domestic architecture.

Ozza or Capasone? A matter of identity

To paraphrase a well-known local saying, one might say:
“An ozza is not a capasone.”

The ozza is the Salento name for the capasone: a local variant with a rounder body and often a longer neck than those produced in Grottaglie.

These differences reveal something deeper:
each area shaped its ceramics according to local needs, just as homes, courtyards and farmhouses were adapted to climate and daily life.

Ceramics and architecture: a natural dialogue

Capase and capasoni were never isolated objects. They belonged in star-vaulted kitchens, underground cellars, storerooms, and the inner courtyards of traditional Salento homes.

It is no coincidence that today they reappear in:

  • historic farmhouses

  • traditional trattorias

  • charming boutique resorts

  • courtyards of restored homes blending tradition and contemporary design

Placed against local limestone walls or beneath ancient vaults, they become visual bridges between past and present.

From “humble” objects to treasured pieces

For many years, these large containers were considered outdated and cumbersome. Many were abandoned or forgotten. Today, they have made a powerful comeback, charged with a new purpose: to embellish, to evoke, to preserve identity.

A stroll through Salento’s countryside or historic towns quickly reveals how admired, photographed, and desired these pieces have become. A simple online search confirms their growing market value.

Far from being humble objects, they are now regarded as precious examples of traditional craftsmanship.

A shared destiny: from the stricaturu to the capasa

The story of the capasa echoes that of the stricaturu, the wooden washboard once found in every household. Both evolved from utilitarian tools into decorative objects rich in memory and meaning.

Their durability and reparability were such that a specialized craftsman existed solely to repair capase, working directly in the owner’s home. This figure is famously immortalized in Luigi Pirandello’s short story The Jar.

Capase and capasoni today: memory as design

Today, these vessels feature prominently in:

  • gardens

  • elegant entrances

  • inner courtyards

  • indoor and outdoor living spaces

Smaller versions are often used as ceremonial gifts, while antique large-scale pieces can represent a significant investment.

One piece of advice stands above all:
if you find one forgotten in an old family cellar, do not discard it. You are holding a fragment of history.

Living in Salento means living this heritage

Capase, capasoni and ozze are more than objects.
They are expressions of Salento living, shaped by the land and its rhythms, and still alive today through architecture, restoration, and design.

In Salento, even a ceramic jar tells the story of a home.