CVII • N. 19-20 • THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2015 • GIOVEDÌ 14 MAGGIO 2015
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Goldsmith masters in Crotone are artists able to craft precious metals in order to produce objects known worldwide: from gold to silver, pearls, corals, and precious stones
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T h e a r t a n d t r a d i t i o n o f
goldsmithery in Crotone
The Greek colonization in
South Italy left an immense cul-
tural heritage: besides an influ-
ence on the language, traditions,
and cuisine, there is also a rele-
vant trace when it comes to art,
in particular on the working of
gold. This is particularly true in
Crotone, in the Calabria region,
where the goldsmith tradition is
n o t a s o l d a s t h e c i t y i t s e l f ,
which was founded in 710 BC,
but was inspired by the Greeks,
as evidenced by the typical fili-
gree and styles of jewelry.
Today, Crotone is home to
important archaeological sites
that have brought to light an
artistic treasure of ceramics,
bronzes, and precious metals. In
the past, gold and silver were
very significant to the local peo-
ple, who offered them to their
g o d s , a s s h o w n b y d i f f e r e n t
e x c a v a t i o n s i n t h e
Archaeological Park of Capo
Colonna. Local residents as well
as pilgrims were eager to pay
homage to their goddess Hera
Lacinia, protector of herds, well-
ness, and fertility, and used to
offer her the most valuable gifts.
Indeed, in the last two decades,
a r c h a e o l o g i s t s h a v e f o u n d
objects dating back to an age
between the 6th and 4th cen-
turies B.C., including a winged
sphinx, the gorgon, the siren, the
B a r c h e t t a N u r a g i c a a n d t h e
Diadema Aureo.
T h i s p r e s e n c e h a s d e e p l y
marked all regions in Southern
Italy, with traces in art, architec-
ture, decorations, and of course
f i n e c r a f t s . T h e g o l d s m i t h ' s
work of the masters in Crotone
not only reflects the Greek tradi-
t i o n , b u t a l s o c o n t a i n s
Byzantine, Arabic, and Baroque
influences. These cultures have
crossed and overlapped over
centuries, with a legacy that is
replicated today and sometimes
also reinterpreted. The world of
c o n n e c t i o n s i s e v e n m o r e
extended if we consider the folk
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The ultimate artisan
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Continued on page 2
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BARBARA MINAFRA
L'italiano moderno è una lin-
gua che si è profondamente tra-
sformata nel corso dei secoli e
che è nata dall'evoluzione del
latino classico parlato nell'anti-
chità romana e chiamato volga-
re quando cominciò ad essere la
Dalla lingua di
Dante Alighieri
ai pilastri del
genoma italiano
