Description

Traditional agricultural practice of cultivating the ‘vite ad alberello’ (head-trained bush vines) of the community of Pantelleria

© 2010 by Graziella Pavia/Pantelleria Agronomist

The traditional practice of cultivating head-trained bush vines (vite ad alberello) is transmitted through generations of vine growers and farmers of the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria. About 5,000 inhabitants own a plot of land, which they cultivate using sustainable methods. The technique consists of several phases. The ground is prepared by levelling the soil and digging a hollow to plant the vine. The main stem of the vine is then carefully pruned to produce six branches, forming a bush with a radial arrangement. The hollow is constantly reshaped to ensure the plant is growing in the right microclimate. The wine grapes are then harvested by hand during a ritual event starting at the end of July. The vine-growers and farmers of Pantelleria, male and female, practice vite ad alberello under harsh climatic conditions. The knowledge and skills of bearers and practitioners are handed down in families through oral and practical instruction in the local dialect. In addition, rituals and festivals organized between July and September allow the local community to share this social practice. The people of Pantelleria continue to identify themselves with vine growing and strive to preserve this practice.

Documents

• Nomination form: English|French
• Consent of communities - Branches of vine reflecting the community consent: English
• Consent of communities: Italian/English
• ICH inventory - Online resources: Inventory - snapshot - Inventory
• ICH inventory: Italian/English

Decision 9.COM 10.21

The Committee (…) decides that [this element] satisfies the criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as follows:

• R.1: Recognized by the community of Pantelleria as part of its identity, this agricultural practice is linked with nature and the environment; its knowledge and skills are transmitted through time by the islanders;
• R.2: Inscription of the element on the Representative List could contribute to international recognition and visibility of intangible culture heritage in general, and more particularly on its link with agricultural knowledge and practices in rural areas, while demonstrating a capacity for creative adaptation to a specific harsh environment;
• R.3: Well articulated measures including education, documentation, research and promotion aim at ensuring the viability of the element and involve the community of Pantelleria as well as local and national institutions ;
• R.4: Through the direct involvement of vine growers and their representative organizations, the population of Pantelleria participated in the preparation of the nomination, providing its free, prior and informed consent;
• R.5: The element was included in the National Inventory of Traditional Rural Practices in 2013, by initiative of the local community, and since 2011 in the Catalogue of the National Rural Landscapes; in 2013, the element was also inventoried in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Register of the Sicilian Region.

© IRVOS, 2013

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