Museo Archeologico VILLA ABBAS
piazza Libertà - 09030 Sardara
tel. +39 070 9386183

The western swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) is a swamphen in the rail family Rallidae, one of the six species of purple swamphen. From the French name talève sultane, it is also known as the sultana bird. This chicken-sized bird, with its large feet, bright plumage and red bill and frontal shield is easily recognisable in its native range. It used to be considered the nominate subspecies of the purple swamphen. It is found on the Iberian Peninsula, in France, Sardinia and western North Africa to Tunisia.

During the Middle Ages, buildings were embellished on the outside with stone, plaster and paintings, but the arrival of enamelled and colored ceramic plates and bowls from the East around the X century, allowed an innovation in this decoration, guaranteeing a shiny surface that determined a breaking element with the opaque brick or stone wall. Some churches, especially in Pisa and Lucca, have been true museums of this type of ceramics, which are now collected indoors for their best conservation and protection from atmospheric agents.