Unioncamere

Unioncamere - the Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Handicraft and Agriculture - is the public association that institutionally collects and represents the Italian chamber system. www.unioncamere.it


Cymbals are very ancient in origin: the prehistoric pair of cymbals on the mummy of an Egyptian religious musician displayed in the British Museum in London shows that they were in existence as early as 2000 BC. The manufacture of cymbals was concentrated in China and in Turkey, where methods were discovered to make this instrument more durable and...

Over the centuries, Salento, the eastward-facing tip of Puglia, has been home to a succession of peoples that have left traces of themselves everywhere, engraving the signs of their presence in Lecce stone. They have carved their history on it, building dolmens, menhirs, forts and temples, as well as dwellings, villas, monuments and churches.  It i...

Calvello, in the heart of Basilicata, is a mountain town immersed in the quiet of the past, where the art of ceramics is still being cultivated. The Benedictine monks of Faenza introduced the art of working with clay as far back as 1200. Since that time, entire generations of families have learned the craft and handed down its precious secrets.  Th...

ln Trentino testimonies of metalworking appeared from the moment the man learned to use metals to build objects intended to meet the needs of everyday life. The mining and metalworking archaeology has provided many examples of a the processing of copper and other minerals in the mountains from the Valley of Mocheni to the plateau of Tesino. These m...

The tradition of the art of goldsmithery in Crotone is certainly not as ancient as the city, which was founded by Greek settlers in 710 B.C., but it can still boast of roots that extend far back into history. It also draws its inspiration from Magna Graecia, as demonstrated by the typical filigree and gold work that still bears traces of the style...

The period furniture tradition in Verona dates back to 1400, with the first artistic woodworking and inlaying, such as the precious inlaid wood choir of Santa Maria in Organo (VR) by the Olivetan monk Fra Giovanni. Another five centuries were to pass, however, before the organised production of period furniture began. The systemisation of the Veron...

Traces of historical kilns and various examples of archival evidence suggest that activities related to ceramics have taken place in Messina since the Arabic period. The first ceramic findings date back to the discovery of the old municipal cemetery (1878-1880), which represents the most authentic expression of the creativity of the craftsmen from...

The manufacture of rush chairs dates back to the early nineteenth century, when the peasants of Maremma were called to work in the wetlands along the southern coast of Tuscany to pick cereals and river grass.   These plants and grasses were harvested at different periods of the year, depending on their use. After a drying stage, they were worked by...

Bread stamps are a symbol of the pastoral art of Murgia Materana. Until the 1950s, housewives used to knead bread at home and deliver it to the boys who worked at the ovens located in the city’s old districts and who oversaw the baking.  Since the ovens were mainly public or belonged to wealthy families, it became necessary to distinguish the loave...

The origins of the ancient art of wrought iron are interlinked with those of man, whose evolution was marked by his learning the secrets needed to use this metal. Despite being the most abundant element, historically, the spread of iron has been rather slow and difficult. The iron age (1000 BC), which followed the stone age, was a huge step for man...

The precious art of lacemaking has been handed down for centuries by the women of Isernia, who weave and knot fine ivory coloured cotton threads that unravel, almost magically, from thin bobbins that can be heard in the streets of the ancient city. Throughout the centuries, the artistic production of bobbin lace has always been important economical...

The clay deposits found in Trentino influenced the establishment of ceramic-tiled stove production in certain geographical areas, amply documented by historians, from the 14th century until the mid-19th century. Sfruz, Vermilion and Molina di Fiemme seem to have been the towns most specialised in the production of stoves; in other areas, such as in...