Poised between agriculture and industry, the mulberry cultivation and silk production chain has profoundly marked the history of the upper plain Lombardy, even impacting the landscape.
We’ll talk about it on Saturday morning at the study morning organized by Gallaratese Society for Patri 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 Gallaratese Art and History Review, will introduce the economic aspects of sericulture in the first phase of industrialization of the Gallaratese territory.
Massimo Palazzipresident of the Gallarate Society for Patristic Studies, will present an interesting document, the “Popular Manual of Silkworm Breeding”, written by Ercole Ferrario, while the director of the Museum Matthew 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 they will talk about the activity of 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 plants 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 will be produced again in Gallarate
