Poised between agriculture and industry, the silkworm breeding and silk production chain has profoundly marked the history of the high plain Lombardy, even impacting the landscape.
We’ll talk about it on Saturday morning at the study morning organized by Gallarate Society for Patristic Studiesfor Saturday 29 June, from 9.30 to 12.30, at the “cloister” in via Borgo Antico (Piazza Risorgimento area).
The professor Pietro Cafaroprofessor of Economic History at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and director of the Rassegna Gallaratese d’Arte e Storia, will introduce the economic aspects of silkworm breeding in the first phase of industrialization of the Gallarate area.
Massimo Palazzipresident of the Gallarate Society for Patristic Studies, will present an interesting document, the “Popular sericulture manual”, written by Ercole Ferrario, while the director of the Museum Matteo Scaltritti will illustrate how mulberry trees and mulberry silkworm breeding have influenced the landscape of the countryside around Gallarate (a presence that can still be recognised today in some places).
Silvia Cappellozzadirector of the Crea-Aa Laboratory of silkworm breeding in Padua, will present the activities of the Laboratory and of Aracne, a project funded by the European Union which aims to inventory the heritage of sericulture in order to understand and safeguard it.
Finally, perhaps the most curious intervention: Ester Praderio e Cesare Coppe will tell the story of the activity of the Società Agricola Mooroon, the agricultural company launched three years ago, with the aim of producing 100% Italian and certified organic silk in the city. Starting from the basic element: a thousand mulberry trees planted on agricultural land around the city.
The farmers will also bring live silkworms to the “chiostrino” and will offer the possibility of personally drawing the silk from the cocoon.
Five boys and a thousand mulberry trees: silk production will return to Gallarate
