Craftsmanship’s role in safeguarding memories: three Italian cases for defining a method in cultural heritage conservation

Considerable attention has been paid to management of Historical and Cultural Heritage; following paper will investigate the methods of transmission to future generations and how is necessary to define a strategy in recognizing, protecting and safeguarding values, places and products, that represent an important meaning for humanity. This meaning could have an historical connotation or an aesthetic one. On one hand, the historical connotation is related to cultural objects, that are produced in a specific period and place in the past, and they represent a pragmatic significance for the evolution of man. On the other hand, the aesthetic connotation as the phenomenology of the “Zeitgeist”, or the collective memory of the people, defines the sense of community. Craftsmanship exemplifies the expression of this duality, while keeping traditions intact and preserving the unique identity of each city. This paper aims to validate a method for giving value to intangible heritage, redefining and maintaining materials. This will be based on the analysis of three best practices in Italy, found in the cases of Caltagirone, Fabriano and Murano, in which creativity and craftsmanship have found a way to preserve the city and historical tradition, sustaining them into the future. What was the connection between location and craft in shaping the identity? After defining principles and models related to Caltagirone, Fabriano and Murano, the aim is to underline how these are valid for other general contexts.