Thanks to civic heraldry, the European project Aracne has highlighted the traces left by sericulture in the historical memory of Italian municipal territories. Among the symbols depicted in the coats of arms are the mulberry tree, the cocoon and the silkworm.
Rediscovering the traces that silkworm cultivation has left in the cultural heritage of populations is the objective of Aracne (Advocating the Role of Silk Art and Cultural Heritage at National and European Scale), the Horizon project started in March 2023 and coordinated by the CREA – Laboratory of Sericulture of Padua, Research Centre of Agriculture and Environment. The researchers Gianni Fila, Alessio Saviane and Silvia Cappellozza immediately set out to discover the ‘living’ traces of the silk tradition, looking for them in the ‘business cards’ of each municipality, i.e. their coats of arms, analysing their symbolic elements.
The research identified 47 municipalities that have depicted images and symbols in their coats of arms that can be traced back to silk production activity. Almost all the municipalities that have proudly maintained their silk heritage in their emblems are located in central-northern Italy, particularly in Lombardy, where there are 29 (10 in the province of Como alone), while in the south only the municipality of Villa San Giovanni (Reggio Calabria) stands out.
The symbol most represented in the coats of arms is the mulberry tree (43 municipalities), followed by the cocoon (4 municipalities), the silkworm larva (2 municipalities), and the silk processing tools (2 municipalities). Often these symbols are associated with each other or with others not related to sericulture.
The idea is to extend this investigation to other countries participating in the Aracne project, to compare what was discovered in Italy with the European heraldic tradition.
Vita in Campagna – JANUARY 2024
The Italian Silk Road narrated by municipal emblems
THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE MUNICIPALITIES
THE ARACNE PROJECT
AN OVERALL LOOK
SERICULTURE IN SYMBOLS
A PATH THAT CONTINUES
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