Founded by the Etruscans and expanded during the Roman period (there are many archeological findings in the village of Marina), Vietri sul mare is the first town along the Amalfi Coast after Salerno. It is a picturesque tourist location, with an economy based on the production of ceramics and brickwork that is known for its brilliant colors and protected by the exclusive mark "ceramica vietrese" (ceramics from Vietri sul mare).

The Ceramics Museum, housed in the beautiful Villa Guariglia, preserves precious pieces of antique ceramics, such as curious vaults filled with china to lighten the weight and enormous multicoloured plates in which peasants dried tomatoes.
Apart from the works of important Italian potters, the museum also houses the works of many foreign artists of the beginning of the 20th century, such as Riccardo Doelker whose images of animals are still produced today or Irene Kowaliski who depicted scenes of everyday local life.