“The seminar saw the participation of Giovanni Giannerini, National Coordinator of Arpea (Agency for the Recovery of Building and Architectural Heritage) – CNA; Carmine Maiese, Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Salerno; Luigi Aceto, Founder of the Museum of Arts, Crafts and Rural Life of Amalfi (Salerno); Giuseppe Brandone, Expert, Santo Stefano Belbo, Cuneo (written contribution); Barbara Caneparo, Coordinator of the Ecomuseum of the Biellese Area; Gaetano Di Vito, Expert, Bonito (Avellino); Patrizia Patini, President of the ‘Le Cannardizie’ Association; Mirco Ulandi, Vice President of the ‘Amici del Museo’ (Friends of the Museum) Association of Alessandria; Bruno Vezzoni, Oglio Chiese Eco-Museum Association; Giorgio Minighin, Confartigianato Veneto, President of the Veneto District for Cultural Heritage; Rossella Agostino; Adele Cesi; Francesco Cetti Serbelloni; Giovanni Giannerini; Matilde Romito; Vendemiano Sartor, President of Confartigianato Veneto and the Academy of Artistic Craftsmanship of Este; Carmine Maiese; Francesca Lugli, President of the Italian Association of Ethnoarchaeology; Giuseppe Moricola, Mayor of San Potito Ultra; and Lanfranco Perilli, Director of the Crafts Sector of the Campania Region. The session was coordinated by Ferruccio Ferrigni, Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Naples Federico II and Coordinator of Activities for the European University Centre for Cultural Heritage.”

“First and foremost, the seminar provided an opportunity to compare different experiences within the crafts sector. Furthermore, also thanks to the round table scheduled for Friday, May 11th, particular attention was dedicated to the issue of training, understood as a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the future development of ancient crafts. Starting from the idea that a craft represents a synthesis of experience and knowledge applied to action—allowing knowledge to be exalted and become part of a shared creation—the seminar developed the theme that action must also be understood as an act of generosity in training and educating toward a deep awareness. This entails the profound need to safeguard and pursue the permanence of existence, with the hope of a progress characterized by quality and with the faith that one’s own action is part of a universal process in which we are called to participate, moving beyond materiality and its contingencies of manners and times.”

“As a corollary to the seminar, a preview visit was arranged for the Exhibition ‘Arts and Crafts in the Ancient South: The Potter and the Fisherman’. Organized at Villa Guariglia in Raito-Vietri sul Mare by the Province of Salerno and the ‘Raffaele Guariglia’ Center for Salernitano Studies, in collaboration with the Salerno and Reggio Calabria Chapters of Italia Nostra, the exhibition was officially inaugurated on Friday, May 18th, and remained open to the public until June 17th.”