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Katara Dhow Festival 2018: presentazione di Casa Italia

Trascrizione integrale dell’articolo dal titolo “Casa Italia to showcase traditions and culture at Katara Dhow Festival”, di Joey Aguilar, apparso sul Gulf Times, giovedì 15 novembre.

Casa Italia is set to showcase Qatar and Italy’s “authentic marine traditions” during the eighth edition of the Katara Traditional Dhow Festival, Italian ambassador Pasquale Salzano has said. Italy is taking part for the first time in the five-day festivity this year, scheduled November 20-24 at the Katara beach.
“We are proud to showcase Italian traditions at sea from our world-renowned tourist locations,” the envoy told reporters yesterday.
He was joined by Katara’s beach department director and festival head Ahmed al-Hitmi.
Casa Italia, literally meaning ‘Italian home’, will present “something very special”, particularly for women, he added.
Artisans from Italy will come to Doha to demonstrate how Italian handcrafted products are made, including sandals from the fashion city of Capri. Capri sandals are symbols of the Dolce Vita worn by Hollywood stars and Jackie Kennedy, according to Salzano.
Casa Italia also pays tribute to the ancient trades of former Italian seaside villages, which today are popular destinations for tourism. The envoy said they will bring to Doha a Sorrento fisherman “from a family that for generations every day is out at sea and make their nets by hand with a technique that is centuries old”.
“We certainly treasure these assets based on know-how and human capacities, as machinery cannot replace manual skills, creativity and genius,” Salzano pointed out.
He said these handcrafted products serve as the pillars of the ‘Made in Italy’ brand and remains to be “our unrivalled global asset”.
“Even though the economy of both countries is now based on new resources, the fishermen’s nets of Sorrento – as those of Qatar – are still made with the same ancient techniques and passion,” he said.
“From Capri to Sorrento from Taormina to Doha, once upon a time, the fishermen’s lifestyle shared common patterns, with the men being out at sea for months while the women tried to make a living by handcrafting artisanal products, waiting for them to come back,” noted Salzano.
He said many Italian global brands started in a small family laboratory with expert hands crafting unique goods, which are now globally renowned as exclusive products, symbols of quality and prestige.
“From Taormina, we called one of the last artisans who makes the hand-thatched Coffa bags, that inspired famous fashion designers. These bags in the past were attached to donkeys and used to carry goods,” Salzano added.
Festival-goers will also see real specimens of gondolas from Venice near Casa Italia with “gondolieri” dressed in the traditional striped attire.
Meanwhile, Italian musicians will serenade visitors with popular Italian pieces while chefs from the best Italian restaurants in Doha will prepare and serve an array of delicacies at the festival.
“I am confident that sharing knowledge, on the common grounds of our ancient traditions at sea, on the occasion of the Dhow Festival 2018, will strengthen our bonds as well as encourage tourists to visit both Italy and Qatar,” Salzano said.
He stressed that the two countries developed outstanding bilateral relations in several fields of common interest and co-operation, including culture.