L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 residents: it represents, has been s aid, " the m os t outs tanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem, illustrat- ing a num ber of s ignificant stages in human history." One of these traditions is rep- resented by local craftsmanship, an important part of the regional economy: artisans still run their tiny botteghe where they display their ability to create things from scratch. This is where the famous little whistles as well as dolls and carvings come from, all made of terracotta (the traditional clay). Production varies by the type of item, and makes of terracotta the finest example of Italian crafts- manship and the symbol of the cultural heritage of the entire region. The objects displayed at the M us eo N azionale D omenico Ridola are impressive, and show that terra cotta work dates back to ancient times. In particular, the archaeological excavations of Serra Alto, show the extraordi- nary skill involved in producing these little masterpieces. The tradition of making whis- tles and dolls has not changed much over time and is very much alive. Ancient techniques are employed along with a his- toric passion for the work. Most shops have their own laboratory in the back, where potters shape and paint beautiful, colorful cre- ations w hich eas ily become unique. Whistles are part of culture on every continent. Those made in Matera are called "cucù," the dialect word for the cuckoo bird, whose sound is recreated by breathing into the w his tle. Recognized w orldw ide as Matera's symbol, whistles usual- ly have the shape of a rooster or a dove. If the cucù depicts a rooster, it is meant as symbol of strength and defense against evil. In the past, the vibrant col- ors were associated with various superstitions. To help drive out evil spirits, people placed whis- tles inside the house, close to the fireplace and the clothes of chil- dren not yet baptized. The production of whistles in Matera has always been con- nected to local celebrations, such as the fair for the Madonna of Picciano, the Easter Monday trip Tripadvisor has officially announced the results of the study TripBarometer run for h a l f a y e a r . T h e s t u d y w a s about the world's greatest and most popular places to travel to. About one in every four people surveyed (28%) said that if money was not an issue they would love to travel to Italy, making the "Bel Paese" the second dream destination for travelers from all around the world. The world's most desired place to travel to is Australia, beating out Italy by only one percent. In terms of where world- wide travelers plan to visit in the next upcoming year, unfor- t u n a t e l y n o t a l l o r n o t v e r y many are planning on going to Italy. According to the results from the study, the main thing holding back people from vis- iting the beautiful country of Italy are finances. Many travelers either do not have enough to support them- s e l v e s f i n a n c i a l l y i n I t a l y (approximately 72%), do not have enough time to visit the entire country properly and are not willing to pay for the cost of all the flights. To get a full experience of Italy, it is recommended for travelers to visit the cities and r e g i o n s n o t s o o c c u p i e d b y tourists; this is why expense to travel all around Italy can get very pricey. Italy may not be a l a r g e c o u n t r y , b u t t h e f u l l Italian experience doesn't only consist of Florence and Rome. This could give some expla- nation as to why more than half of Italian hotel managers claim to have national clients as the vast majority of their guests, and that is why they are probably the travelers least a f f e c t e d b y t h e p r i c e s o f accommodation in Italy, the cost of flights, and the time t h a t i s r e q u i r e d i n o r d e r t o visit. N a m i n g t h e d e s t i n a t i o n s rounding out the rest of the list we find the United States in third place, followed by New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the Caribbean, Greece, and Japan. Italy: A Top Dream Destination for 2015 to the church of F rati Cappuccini, and Ferragosto Day, August 15. During these events, buying a "cucù" for pilgrims' kids w as cons idered almos t mandatory. Whistles were also needed to express the emotional and religious involvement in the pilgrimage. At other times, the whistles had a "social" function: indeed, a whistle was usually bought for a boy to wish him fertility in life. Then he would give it to his fiancée after declar- ing his love; the more highly decorated the cucù, the bigger the promise of love was consid- ered to be. One of the most famous craft s hops exis ting in the city is Geppetto's: located in the heart of Matera, the central Piazza del Sedile, this store collects and distributes the artifacts of some local artisans. The idea behind this project is to retain family ties and to focus on the skills held by older artisans. Today these objects have lost their traditional function, but they are ins piring furniture design that can add a touch of originality and modernity to domestic environments. Artisans still run their tiny "botteghe" where they display their ability to create things from scratch BECKY ZEFERINO Continued from page 1

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