The workshop, organised by ORS APS – LIQUILAB UNESCO NGO in collaboration with the Municipality of Castro and the ICPI – Ministry of Culture, offers children an opportunity to learn about and creatively reinterpret traditions linked to the commemoration of the dead, bringing together the cultures of Salento and Sicily.

Beforehand, children will be asked to bring along an object that belonged to one of their ancestors: an everyday, personal item or one linked to their family history, which can serve as an opportunity to recount a person, a memory, a story or a tradition passed down through the generations. The objects will be presented and described by the children, thus becoming the starting point for a shared reflection on the value of memory and the relationship between generations.

Ornella Ricchiuto, anthropologist and president of the association, will then lead a reading from the book “Armuzze” (Edizioni Pasqualino), a poetic fairy tale set in Sicily which recounts, through a child’s eyes, the relationship between the living and the souls of the dead. Building on the story, the children will be invited to identify and compare some of the practices through which communities keep alive their connection with those who are no longer with us: gifts, food, remembrance, ritual gestures and traditional objects.

We will focus on “fanfullicchie”, a traditional Salento sweet linked to the commemoration of the dead, thereby bridging the gap between the tradition described in the book and the cultural heritage of the region.

The objects brought by the children, together with the stories and ideas that emerge during the workshop, will be creatively reworked through shapes, colours, materials and compositions. At the end of the experience, the group will create a collective installation that will symbolically bring together the memories, stories and connections that emerged during the activity. The installation will remain on display at the Aragonese Castle in Castro until 2 November, serving as a visible and shared representation of the children’s journey and an opportunity to celebrate family memories as part of the community’s cultural heritage.

The activity aims to:

•    introduce children to the intangible cultural heritage of their local area;

•    raise awareness of traditions linked to the commemoration of the dead;

•    draw parallels between traditions from different regions;

•    stimulate curiosity about the practices, objects and gestures of folk culture;

•    reflect on the significance of memory and the relationship between generations;

•    celebrate family memory through storytelling and sharing;

•    encourage individual and collective expression.

•    transform stories and objects of memory into a collective artistic expression.

The theme of death will be explored through the concepts of memory and relationships. The focus will be primarily on what communities do to remember, recount and symbolically keep alive the memory of those who are no longer with us.

The ancestor’s object will thus become a tangible trace of a family history: through its story, the child will be able to connect their own experiences with those of previous generations, recognising a part of the collective heritage within their personal memory.

Programme

28 October 2026

Castro, Aragonese Castle

5:00 – 6:30p.m.

Retelling of the poetic tale “Armuzze” 

by Ornella Ricchiuto, anthropologist

Creative activity with participants on the importance of ancestors and group exhibition

Text as provided by the organiser(s).