Since time immemorial, Faenza has been an important center for the production of a beautiful majolica pottery, which, even in Etruscan times was exported far and wide. Today, faience (in English) or favence (in French) pottery is shipped around the world to high end shops for discerning buyers. Today there are over 60 factories and workshops, most in the city's center, producing different forms of Faenza pottery.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Faenza boasts many businesses, institutions and events dedicated to its best known industry, including ceramic manufacturers, schools, and most famously, the International Museum of Ceramics, whose collection consists of historically important pottery and ceramiche from every corner of the world, including stunning works from the Renaissance and the works of artists like Chagall and Picasso.

Faenza sits on the banks of the Lamone River in a fertile agricultural zone just 30 kilometers south of Bologna and 50 kilometers east of Ravenna. The soil in and around the city contain the clay deposits that are the basis of Faenza's ceramic industry.