The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, has officially announced that the City of Faenza, following the candidacy submitted last February and supported by the relevant application file, has been named a UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Arts.
With this recognition, Faenza officially enters the world network of UNESCO Creative Cities, alongside other Italian cities already recognized in the different subject areas. In particular, for the area of Crafts and Folk Arts, the other Italian cities honored are Fabriano, Carrara, Biella (from 2019) and Como.
This year, in addition to Faenza, Andenne and Hohr-Grenzhausen were also nominated, cities with which MIC Faenza has been collaborating for years on special projects dedicated to ceramic art and craft.
Faenza’s entry into the UNESCO network confirms the centrality of its ceramic identity, an expression of widespread knowledge that continues to evolve through research, training and new generations of artists and artisans. The city is thus established as an international reference point for the enhancement of intangible heritage, the promotion of material culture and the construction of new forms of collaboration between territories, institutions and creative communities.
“This nomination”-explains Mayor Massimo Isola-“fills us with pride and responsibility because it recognizes in ceramics not only a tradition, but a living form of culture and innovation, representing, at the same time, an extraordinary recognition for Faenza and for all of Romagna. The result rewards the entire city and testifies to the resilience and strength of an entire community that has been able not only to preserve its heritage, but also to renew it, overcoming moments of great difficulty. Ceramics is our identity language, but also the key with which we want to interpret the future, investing in creativity as a resource for the economic and social growth of the city. I would like to thank all those who made this achievement possible: the working team, the ceramic craftsmanship network, museums, schools, cultural associations and the many citizens who, with their commitment, helped build the candidacy: this recognition is not a point of arrival, but represents a commitment to continue on the path of cultural innovation and international cooperation.”
The Municipality of Faenza, together with the project’s institutional and cultural partners, including of course MIC Faenza, will present in the coming weeks the operational plan that will define the lines of action of the UNESCO Creative City, focusing on training, internationalization, urban regeneration and support for cultural and creative enterprises.
With this recognition, Faenza establishes itself as the Italian capital of ceramics and artistic craftsmanship, guardian of a living tradition and laboratory of a future in which culture and creativity become tools of progress, cohesion and sustainable development.
