On 27 December, Sergio Capovilla and Gloria Pignotti inaugurated the “Casa del baco“ (Silkworm House) at the family farm in the municipality of Candiana (PD), in the presence of the regional councillor for the environment and civil protection, Elisa Venturini, the mayor of Arre, Michele Teobaldo, the mayor of Candiana, Luca Manfrin, and a small crowd of local community members. The project was made possible thanks to PNNR–NextGenerationEU funds with the project: ‘Structural and functional restoration of a manor house that bears witness to the area’s ancient silkworm farming tradition‘.
The small museum will be open from April to September each year and consists of an exhibition dedicated to sericulture. It is aimed primarily at schools wishing to experience the traditional silkworm rearing practices of the area. The Casa del Baco will collaborate with the FARO Italia network, of which FARO Candiana is a member.
During the opening ceremony the regional Councillor Venturini, who is also from the area, has expressed her personal and regional support to the initiative. The opening ceremony has included a blessing by the parish priest and greetings from the mayors of the villages of Arre and Candiana, respectively home and base of agricultural activity of the family. Silvia Cappellozza, head of the Sericulture laboratory of Padua (Council for Agricultural Research and Economics) also participated. She recalled that the initiative can rightfully be included among those designed to stimulate the revival of sericulture, thanks to Regional Law No. 6 of 13 March 2024, also known as the ‘Venetian Silk Road’ (Via della seta veneta).
What’s more, ‘The Silkworm House’ could be included in the cultural tourist itinerary, the ‘European Silk Route’, which is promoted by the Aracne Horizon Europe project, and it is devoted to recreating a silk ecosystem in Europe.
