Destination Matera DMO, led by president Ida Immacolata Riccardo, took center stage in New York with the Legenda Maior project, created in collaboration with entrepreneur and master artist Claudia Nodari and the Columbus Foundation.
The initiative brought the art, culture, and scenic beauty of the Sassi to the United States, offering a major promotional showcase for the city of Matera's tourist and cultural brand on a global scale.
Hosted by the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Legenda Maior project was presented to a large and attentive audience.
But what is it exactly? It is an international artistic and educational masterclass focused on rediscovering and promoting the ancient art of fresco making.
The project unfolds through the following key elements:
Learning by doing philosophy: An intensive ten-day program aimed at passing down the secrets of traditional artistic craftsmanship to new generations, countering industrial standardization.
Network of skills: A strategic collaboration between institutions of excellence, uniting the Duni Art High School in Matera with the Olivieri and Leonardo high schools in Brescia, along with the OK School Academy of Brescia, to foster cultural exchange.
Global promotion: The transformation of artisanal know-how into a cultural brand that can be exported abroad, culminating in the presentation of the results at the Columbus Foundation in New York.
The ultimate goal is to protect and enhance the heritage of Italian artistic trades, offering young people concrete job opportunities in the fields of restoration and monumental decoration.
The role of the Columbus Foundation: The women's association of the Columbus Citizens Foundation is sponsoring the Legenda Maior artistic and pictorial training course with scholarships.
The course, which began yesterday, will consist of daily lessons scheduled for July 8 – 18 (excluding July 12 and July 16), running from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Under the guidance of renowned master artist Claudia Nodari and her team, participants will learn the traditional techniques of Italian fresco making. The focus will be on Giotto's masterpieces and the inspiring stories of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose passing is commemorated this year.
Scholarship recipients will join a select group and receive comprehensive training, all necessary materials, and personalized support. The lessons will integrate theoretical knowledge with practical exercises, including educational image projections and continuous assistance from the staff. Each participant will receive a customized kit, materials for activity preparation, specialized tools, an apron, descriptive labels in English and Italian, and comprehensive resources, both physical and digital.
For Destination Matera DMO president Ida Immacolata Riccardo, this experience represents a great little masterpiece among the strategic objectives the DMO intends to pursue.
"A community is not measured by what it builds for itself, but by its ability to create opportunities for everyone, especially for those living in the most fragile territories, in small villages, inland areas, and the peripheries of the world. These are the places we intend to reach, starting from New York. Every undervalued talent, every piece of knowledge that dissipates, and every tradition that is not passed down represents a loss for the entire collective community.
Destination Matera DMO's participation with the Columbus Citizens Foundation fully embodies this vision: transforming the territory into a massive megaphone for Italian excellence, capable of networking municipalities, businesses, associations, schools, youth, and artists, from Italy to New York.
The project idea, born in the summer of 2024 in Matera through a memorandum of understanding between the artistic institutes of Brescia, Crema, and Matera, continues its journey today with a prestigious international stop in New York. This is made possible thanks to the fresco course dedicated to the Crypt of Original Sin and its iconic figure of the Basilissa, a symbol of the artistic and spiritual excellence of Matera's cultural heritage."
