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Over 10,000 tiles in our showroom, including cotto and cotto-look tiles. Real clay from Italy and Spain or porcelain: samples to take home included.
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Real cotto is unglazed fired clay. It is porous (Cotto Etrusco: 27 % water absorption), so it is impregnated and then waxed or oiled; porcelain in a cotto look is dense and does not need this.
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Cotto Etrusco · Elias Manual
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Ceramica Elias Mecánico
03
Marca Corona Terra
Pictures 1 and 3: material study of the cut edge, not a product photo. Picture 2: Ceramica Elias · manufacturer image, photo Daniel Rueda.
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The same tile in three states. The treatment sets the shade, the sheen and the stain protection.
01Raw
Open-pored and matt. Olive oil leaves a permanent stain on untreated Cotto Etrusco.
02Impregnated
Water beads off and the clay stays almost as light. Ceramica Elias says this is always needed indoors.
03Waxed or oiled
Wax goes on top of the impregnation, matt to glossy. Oil makes the clay darker with each coat.
Material study, not a product photo. Cotto Etrusco also comes pre-treated from the factory as TR2 Mattcare (water-repellent) or TR1 Wetcare (wax).
Five collections from four manufacturers. Sizes as stated by the manufacturer.
Handmade cotto
Shaped by hand in wooden moulds, dried in the air for 20 days and fired for 10 days in a wood kiln. Four surfaces, from rough to almost smooth.
Naturale
Carteggiato
Semilevigato
Lavato19 × 19 to 40 × 40 cm · 25–30 mm · R12 · hexagon, octagon, herringbone
Extruded cotto or handmade
Four clay colours: Rojo, Blanco, Vulcano, Cotto del Sol. Mecánico is extruded, Manual is shaped by hand.
10 × 10 to 50 × 50 cm · 15 × 30 cm · hexagon 16 and 20 cm
Real cotto
Provença is the most rustic line, for indoors and outdoors. Milenium comes in six colours, matt and slightly worn.
10 × 10 to 40 × 40 cm · 7.5 × 15 cm · hexagon 16 and 20 cm
Porcelain in a cotto look
Full-body: the colour runs through the whole tile. Water absorption 0.5 % at most, frost resistant.
Rosso
Ocra20 × 20 cm · hexagon 25 × 21.6 cm · 9 mm · R9
Unglazed stoneware
The classic floor for stairwells and hallways, in the colour Red. Frost resistant to EN ISO 10545-12.
Octagon 15 cm with 5 cm insert · 9 mm · R10 · barefoot B
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Clay and firing make the shade. Every batch turns out a little different, and cotto darkens over the years.
Straw
Light and warm. Calm, also in small rooms.
Pink
Soft. Oil or wax makes the tone warmer.
Orange
The classic cotto tone.
Brick red
Strong and rich, also available as cotto look.
Red-brown, flamed
Dark flame marks come from the firing, for example in a wood kiln.
Material study, not a product photo. You see the real manufacturer colours on the samples. Mix the boxes when laying.
Three classic cotto patterns and where to get them.
Hexagon
Cotto Etrusco with 6 to 20 cm side length. Ceramica Elias 16 and 20 cm, Marca Corona Terra 25 × 21.6 cm.
Octagon with insert
Cotto Etrusco with 10.5 cm side length. Winckelmans in stoneware, as in many historic floors.
Herringbone
Cotto Etrusco Listello 5.5 × 25 cm. Ceramica Elias Provença 7.5 × 15 cm.
Material study, not a product photo.
Values as stated by the manufacturer. A dash means: not stated.
| Cotto Etrusco | Ceramica Elias | Marca Corona Terra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Clay, handmade | Clay, extruded or handmade | Full-body porcelain |
| Thickness | 15–30 mm | – | 9 mm |
| Water absorption | 27 % | – | ≤ 0.5 % |
| Slip resistance | R12 | – | R9 · barefoot A |
| Frost | resistant, with adhesive bed and slope | Garden line for outdoors | resistant |
| Impregnation | yes, or from the factory | yes, or from the factory | no |
| Joint | – | 5–10 mm | 2–4 mm |
Material
Thickness
Water absorption
Slip resistance
Frost
Impregnation
Joint
Cotto Etrusco · hexagon · Manufacturer image
Ceramica Elias · Milenium Canela after 10 years · Manufacturer image, photo Rosa Borrell
Ceramica Elias · Garden 30 × 30 cm · Manufacturer image
Cotto Etrusco · Terracotta Naturale · Manufacturer image
Ceramica Elias · Artesano Rojo · Manufacturer image, photo Charlotte Lajarín
Ceramica Elias · Milenium hexagon 20 cm · Manufacturer image, photo Ramón EnrichAlways impregnate indoors
Otherwise the clay takes up stains. Outdoors, Ceramica Elias advises against it, except for fully dipped tiles.
Kitchen and dining area
Cotto Etrusco recommends a water- and oil-repellent impregnation there, with wax on top.
Wide joints without pigment
Ceramica Elias recommends 5–10 mm joints. Pigments in the grout can stain the clay.
Outdoors only with a plan
Cotto Etrusco is frost resistant in an adhesive bed with a slope and a breathable treatment. Otherwise, real cotto is not automatically frost-proof.
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Take samples home
Samples to take home are included. That way you see the tiles in your own room.
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None in the material. Terracotta means “baked earth”, cotto means “fired”. Both words describe unglazed ceramic made of clay, fired at about 900 to 1000 °C.
Indoors, yes. Without protection the porous clay takes up stains. The usual way is an impregnation with wax on top, or oil in several coats; many tiles come pre-treated from the factory.
Untreated, yes: olive oil stays as a stain. For kitchens and dining areas, Cotto Etrusco recommends a water- and oil-repellent impregnation with wax on top. If you want no care at all, choose porcelain such as Terra.
Yes, with the right product and build-up. Elias Garden is made for outdoors; Cotto Etrusco is frost resistant with an adhesive bed, a slope and a breathable treatment. A normal indoor cotto is not automatically frost-proof.
Handmade cotto is thick: 15 to 30 mm at Cotto Etrusco, plus an adhesive bed of at least 1 cm. Porcelain in a cotto look is 9 mm. In a renovation, the build-up height often decides.
The format decides. Narrow rectangles, hexagons and light shades such as Elias Blanco look calm and current; octagons with inserts look classic. In the consultation you compare the formats on samples.
Nothing. The consultation in the showroom is free and without obligation, and samples to take home are included. On request, we also install.
Last checked: 26 October 2026
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