The famous 'della Robbia' Wreaths of Williamsburg

Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg love the traditional 'della Robbia' style holiday wreaths inspired by Eighteenth-century engravings. Only fresh fruits and vegetables and native greens are used in the making of these festive wreaths.

Eighteenth-century engravings suggest that a range of natural ingredients were used to decorate entrances to homes and buildings as a prelude to the holiday spirit to be found inside. Typical materials used included apples, lemons, limes, oranges, pineapples, pomegranates, cranberries, bayberries, holly berries, chinaberries, rose hips, sumac berries, magnolia pods, lotus pods, milkweed pods, dried flowers, cotton bolls, rosemary, laurel, okra pods, dried cayenne peppers, mistletoe - as well as red cedar, red oak, boxwood, pine, fir, mountain laurel, magnolia, ivy.

Each year these special holiday decorations are prepared and hung in time for the popular GRAND ILLUMINATION weekend that marks the beginning of Williamsburg's Christmas season.

The following wreaths will give you a close-up look at these decorations, so that you can find the ingredients you need to make a 'della Robbia' wreath for yourself. [Remember, no bows, just native greens or other natural ingredients!]