Craftsmanship
Discovering Reggio’s heritage of traditional craftsmanship
Artisan knowledge and tradition are intrinsic elements of Calabrian culture and besides having great cultural significance they play a major role from the social viewpoint. Thanks to the quality of the products, an artisan’s work strengthens the ties with the land. In Calabria, craftsmanship has archaic roots and some of the traditional techniques are used to this day.
On both the Ionic side and the Tyrrhenian side (link costa tirrenica), on the slopes of the Aspromonte and on the Sila massif, you can easily come across an artisan workshop that continues to use the tools conceived centuries ago. From the wicker basket makers, “canestai” of Reggio Calabria, to the luthiers of Bisignano, the weavers and metal craftsmen of Stilo, and the celebrated ceramic masks of Seminara.
Luthiers Art
There is an ancient craft tradition that characterises the land of Calabria: whether they are luthiers or master weavers, the wise use of hands leads to real masterpieces that deserve to be preserved and handed down from generation to generation.
The Bergamot Snuffboxes
Calabrian ancestors to preserve tobacco used the bergamot snuffbox. A bottle was built from a small screw cap with the upside-down peel of the citrus fruit in which tobacco was placed, which, when needed, was poured in small quantities into the forearm cavity and then sniffed.
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The Ceramics of Seminara
Among the towns valued by the world of pottery, Seminara stands out, where artisans produce symbolic shapes linked to popular traditions: from reproductions of the masks used in Greek theatre, to the grotesque ones used by the local population to keep the evil spirits away. The latter, still today, [...]
The popular and peasant art of Bovesia
Bova, a village elected in 2013 to be amongst the most beautiful in Italy, belongs to the Calabrian Grecanic Area in which the influence of historical, cultural, and idiomatic experiences becomes tangible. The various foreign dominations, which followed one another over the centuries, have contribut [...]