Fabriano
City of painters, blacksmiths and master paper makers (Mastri chartai), Fabriano, designated a UNESCO creative city in 2013, is recognized internationally for its rich crafts stemming from a very old tradition and great savoir-faire.
Since the 12th century, the city has been a centre of production and dynamic trade, particularly in the handicraft sector: blacksmiths, potters, weavers and master paper makers have forged its reputation. The centuries have transformed these artisans into industrial craftsmen, especially in the paper sector.
Today, Fabriano is a dynamic handicraft centre, powered by its high-level education and promotional projects. Innovative initiatives allow all generations of craftsmen to meet, for example in the Shop-Workshop Centre, where everyone can rediscover traditional crafts and products of excellence.
Fabriano supports various forms of artistic expression through numerous cultural events such as exhibitions and festivals, like Poïesis. Cultural infrastructure such as the Paper and Watermark Museum, the multimedia library, the Gentile Theatre, the Museum of the Piano and the Picture Gallery also attract a large number of visitors.
Heir of an exceptional history and tradition in crafts, Fabriano has managed to successfully marry trade, tourism and industry. Its main objective is to preserve this ancestral know-how and harmonize it with today’s industries and new technologies.
As a Creative City of Craft and Folk Arts, Fabriano envisages:
- Organizing, with Turin and Bologna, the "Design and craftsmanship" Forum addressed to the creative cities of Design, Media Arts, Film and Music in the framework of the EXPO 2015 Fabriano, and offering the cities of crafts and folk arts an opportunity to show their products and develop exchanges between designers;
- Developing "The new workshops of the creative city", a training route promoted by the Merloni Foundation to help new generations of international artisans make new technologies their own;
- Creating the International Centre of Watercolor (Centro Internazionale dell'acquarello) in Fabriano for housing permanent exhibitions and restoration workshops and contributing to promote the artistic use of handmade paper;
- Organizing several artistic and cultural events in celebration of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO.