L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano W h e n U N E S C O u n v e i l e d its newest additions to its Creative Cities Net- work on World Cities Day 2 0 2 5 , t w o I t a l i a n n a m e s appeared: Faenza and La Spezia, two cities certainly n o t u s e d t o r e c e i v e m u c h international recognition, but that fully deserve the a c c o l a d e . T h e i r i n c l u s i o n brings Italy to sixteen mem- bers in a global network that now spans more than one hundred countries. T h e c h o i c e h a s b e e n described as especially sig- nificant, because it shows a shift in how cultural innova- tion is understood, that is, not as something limited to m a j o r c a p i t a l s , b u t a s a process rooted in local skills, industries and communities, too. The Creative Cities Net- work was launched in 2004 to support cities that place culture and creative indus- tries at the center of sustain- able urban policy, and cur- r e n t l y e m b r a c e s f i e l d s r a n g i n g f r o m c r a f t s t o design, literature, gastrono- m y , m e d i a a r t s , f i l m a n d music. Italy has long been an a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a n t , w i t h Bologna for music, Fabri- ano for crafts, Parma for g a s t r o n o m y , T u r i n f o r design and film, and other cities contributing in differ- ent ways. The addition of Faenza and La Spezia broad- ens this territory, pointing toward areas where heritage, i n d u s t r y a n d i n n o v a t i o n intersect. Their nominations were also accompanied by detailed evaluations noting both the strength of their t r a d i t i o n s a n d t h e g o v e r - n a n c e m o d e l s t h e y h a v e developed for cultural partic- ipation. Faenza's recognition in the category of Crafts and Folk Art is inseparable from its long history of ceramics, a practice that has influenced the city for centuries. This connection is preserved even i n l a n g u a g e : t h e w o r d faience, used in several lan- guages to describe a specific type of ceramic, is a direct reference to Faenza and a reminder of how influential i t s w o r k s h o p s o n c e w e r e . Today, this identity is rein- forced by the International M u s e u m o f C e r a m i c s (MIC), founded in 1908 and home to an exceptional col- lection spanning thousands of years of ceramic history. U N E S C O h a d a l r e a d y acknowledged the museum i n 2 0 0 0 a s a " M o n u m e n t W i t n e s s t o a C u l t u r e o f Peace," and its role has fur- t h e r g r o w n s i n c e t h e n through exhibitions, training programs, the long-running Faenza Prize, and collabora- tions with design institutes. T h e n o m i n a t i o n a l s o notes Faenza's response to t h e m a j o r f l o o d s o f M a y 2023, which severely dam- aged workshops, archives a n d p a r t s o f t h e m u s e u m itself: local craftsmen, cul- t u r a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l s u p p o r t e r s c o o r d i n a t e d f u n d r a i s i n g , documentation and restora- t i o n e f f o r t s t h a t q u i c k l y became a symbol of collec- tive resilience. In fact, many feel that the city managed to use this crisis to reinforce its long-term strategy of sup- porting traditional crafts, investing in contemporary p r o d u c t i o n a n d e n g a g i n g r e s i d e n t s i n c u l t u r a l l i f e . UNESCO highlighted this c a p a c i t y f o r r e c o v e r y , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e c i t y ' s openness to international e x c h a n g e , a s e v i d e n c e o f how craft-based economies can contribute to sustainable development. La Spezia's recognition in the field of Design shows quite a different trajectory: positioned between Genoa and the Cinque Terre, the town has long been associat- ed with shipbuilding and the navy, but in recent years it has been repositioning itself t h r o u g h a m i x o f u r b a n r e g e n e r a t i o n , m a r i t i m e innovation and environmen- tal planning. Its application e m p h a s i z e d t h e i d e a o f d e s i g n a s a t o o l f o r rethinking the relation- s h i p b e t w e e n c i t y a n d sea, especially in the context of climate adaptation and sustainable coastal develop- m e n t . P r o j e c t s u n d e r w a y a l o n g t h e w a t e r f r o n t , f o r example, aim to open for- merly restricted areas, cre- ate public spaces and inte- grate green infrastructure into the fabric of the indus- trial port and residential dis- tricts. One of the city's most sig- n i f i c a n t p l a t f o r m s i s t h e B l u e D e s i g n S u m m i t , w h i c h b r i n g s t o g e t h e r designers, shipyards, arti- s a n s a n d u n i v e r s i t i e s t o e x p l o r e t h e m e s s u c h a s yacht design, naval architec- t u r e , b l u e e c o n o m y t e c h - nologies and circular pro- duction models connected to the maritime sector. This cluster of expertise solidly p l a c e d L a S p e z i a a t t h e crossroads of creativity and industry, linking high-quali- ty craft, advanced technolo- gy and local employment. T h e c i t y ' s c u l t u r a l s c e n e strengthens the approach, thanks to film festivals, com- munity arts centers and edu- c a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s t h a t e n g a g e y o u n g p e o p l e i n design thinking. UNESCO's evaluation pointed to these elements as evidence that La Spezia uses design as a real f r a m e w o r k f o r l o n g - t e r m economic and social plan- ning. As said, the inclusion of Faenza and La Spezia fur- ther expands Italy's pres- ence in the Creative Cities N e t w o r k , i n a w a y t h a t s e e m s t o c l o s e l y m i r r o r national priorities, if it's true that the current Italian cul- t u r a l p o l i c y i n c r e a s i n g l y emphasizes the importance of creatività diffusa, that i s , a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f innovation as coming from many areas of the country, not only from iconic capi- tals. Very importantly, the network also encourages col- laboration among member cities, which can exchange practices on education, sus- tainability, digital experi- mentation and community engagement. For Italy, this recognition means greater visibility in international forums and opportunities for funding or partnerships linked to culture-led regen- eration; for the two cities themselves, it offers a plat- form to strengthen local sec- tors, attract visitors interest- ed in crafts or design and engage with foreign institu- tions. B u t t h e s e n o m i n a t i o n s also underline the diversity of Italy's cultural econo- my: ceramics and maritime design might seem like niche sectors, but they reveal how regional skills, industrial heritage and artistic experi- m e n t a t i o n c a n s u p p o r t development when they are i n t e g r a t e d i n t o b r o a d e r u r b a n s t r a t e g i e s . F a e n z a demonstrates how tradition- al craftsmanship can remain globally relevant when insti- tutions, workshops and edu- c a t i o n w o r k t o g e t h e r ; L a Spezia shows how design can shape policy, environ- ment and community identi- ty in a city undergoing semi- nal transformations. By joining the Creative Cities Network, Faenza and La Spezia receive a recogni- tion, but they also enter a system that calls for ongoing collaboration, reporting and project-building; their suc- cess will depend, therefore, also on how effectively they w i l l u s e t h i s p l a t f o r m t o involve residents, sustain artisans and designers, and a t t r a c t p a r t n e r s . F o r observers of Italy's cultural panorama, their inclusion offers an invitation to look at cities whose creative contri- butions may be less famous but certainly not less signifi- cant. Ceramics in Faenza, design in La Spezia: Italy's new UNESCO Creative Cities CHIARA D'ALESSIO Faenza's Piazza del Popolo (Photo: Arkantostock/Dreamstime) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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