The extraordinary Red book of the University of Catanzarothe collection of documents that illustrate the life of the city of the three hills from the Middle Ages to the modern age, will be exhibited for the first time to the city. The occasion is offered by the celebrations for San Vitaliano promoted by the Municipality of Catanzaro.
The precious volume is one of the precious pieces – certainly the most fascinating – of the exhibition entitled “Velluto & Vitaliano. A tribute to the saint and the city”edited by the historic and archivist Sarah Procopiowhich will be held From 14 to 16 July to the municipal historical archive (Terrace of the San Giovanni monumental complex, Corso Mazzini). The exhibition will be introduced by a conversation on the art of the production of silk and fabrics in Catanzaro through the centuries, with a look at the Mediterranean and Europe.
The talk, led by Procopio herself, research assignist of the University of Padua and PhD student of the University of Paris VIII, will see the participation of Elisabetta Raffodirector of the Bruschettini Foundation for Islamic and Asian art of Genoa. The appointment is at 6 pm on 14 July, at the San Giovanni monumental complex.
The exhibition – which will be inaugurated at the end of the conversation – also welcomes archive documents, historiographic contributions and textile artefacts in the narrative path that revolves around two key symbols of the Catanzaro identity: the velvet and San Vitaliano.
Deliberately borrowing a part of the popular definition of Catanzaro as the “City of the 3 V: wind, velvet and vitaliano“, The exhibition highlights the centrality of the velvet industry in urban history starting from the red book: this source will return the profound meaning of the silk art for Catanzaro and for its community as a vehicle for social prestige, economic lever and an instrument of affirmation in the political context of the Kingdom of Naples. On display also textile artifacts never exposed before, from private collections. The ability of the artisan workers Catanzaro and the Kingdom of Naples.
The exhibition can be used for free and will be visited on July 14 until 10pm and 15 and 16 July from 9 to 22.