
Immaterial Heritage
All photos ©
Immaterial Heritage
All over the world, recent years have seen a shift in what travelling really means; there has been a steady move towards forms of interaction with places that are increasingly about the emotions and the unique, unrepeatable experiences they can give, far from the common models of mass tourism, and about encouraging ‘staycations’ and gentle mobility, and the promotion of cultural landscapes that are intertwined with the local community.
This new paradigm places travellers in a role of active interpreters of the reinterpretation of places and customs, making them participants in a vision that was anticipated in the Faro Convention (2005) where cultural heritage means “a collection of resources that have been inherited from the past that the people identify as a reflection and expression of their values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions, in continuous evolution, independently of who is actually the owner".
It’s a vision that drops the distinction between material and immaterial heritage, but it’s above all a vision that affirms the right to cultural heritage as part of the right to take part in cultural life, it’s the individual and collective responsibility that places the conservation of cultural heritage and its sustainable use at the service of human development, quality of life and the creation of a peaceful, democratic society, respectful of cultural diversity.
Cultural heritage therefore becomes not just an instrument for empowerment and local development, but becomes shared ‘common goods’ that promote new styles and codes for conservation and new roles for travellers who take part in these processes as ‘temporary citizens’.
The province of Siracusa, an enormous open air museum in the south-east of Sicily, is the unmatched setting for a cultural tapestry made of landscapes, greekness, baroque, art, nature, religiosity, knowledge and tradition. It’s an ideal place to experience reflections on the fragility of today’s world.
Natale Giordano
April 22, 2022

L’ospitalità greca ha lasciato testimonianza di sé non solo nei libri di storia e nei manuali di archeologia ma anche nell’arte, nelle architetture ovunque i greci siano arrivati. Fu così a Siracusa - prima comunità greca indipendente d’occidente - e così è ancora dopo ventisette secoli.
April 7, 2022

PREMIO VITTORINI: Onorare la memoria di uno dei figli più illustri di Siracusa, qual è Elio Vittorini, è una tappa decisiva lungo un percorso di virtuoso sviluppo del territorio che non corre più all’ombra delle ciminiere ma deve scommettere su un’industria della cultura.
February 14, 2022

The statue of Saint Lucy exemplifies delicacy and harmony; the saint is reclining on her right side on two high cushions, with her left hand falling naturally near her belly. Her face expresses serenity during her passage from life to death, at the meeting with God.
December 13, 2021

“Sarausana je” - She’s a Siracusan! - the invocation bursts forth spontaneously as soon as the people get the first glimpse of the silver Simulacrum of Saint Lucy. And it’s repeated by men, women, children; “Sarausana je” followed by “Dicitaccillo cu tuttu u core” - say it with all your heart!
November 2, 2021

Lumini accesi e tavole imbandite hanno popolato per secoli le case, le strade e i cimiteri di Sicilia nelle “notti dei morti”. La tradizionale festa dedicata al culto dei defunti, il 2 novembre, affonda le sue radici in una storia millenaria; ricorda rituali pagani e li stringe alla cultura cristiana.
April 22, 2021

When you reach Siracusa on the bus or on your own, at the roundabout, you have to choose whether to take viale Paolo Orsi or viale Ermocrate. The choice isn’t a neutral one - you’ll see why.
April 22, 2021

The wider area of Syracuse offers a unique experience of enjoyment of an open-air museum, which is also the driving force of a new idea of socio-economic development based on culture, history, nature and food.
March 21, 2021

Nowadays the celebrations for Saint Sebastian in Siracusa maintain their popular appeal but have adapted to social and cultural changes and in particular have found a new cultural dimension alongside the tradition one.
Articles
Complete index of published posts
Click here
- The Culture of Beauty (4/22/2022)
- Premio Vittorini (4/7/2022)
- The statue of the dying Saint Lucy (2/14/2022)
- The cult of Saint Lucy (12/13/2021)
- The Day of the Dead – All Souls Day (11/2/2021)
- Two ways to approach Siracusa (4/22/2021)
- Immaterial Cultural Heritage (4/22/2021)
- Festivities for Saint Sebastian (3/21/2021)
- Saint Sebastian at Siracusa (3/20/2021)