Making the most out of our cultural heritage will be the real luxury in the coming years and cooperation on this issue will have to be transversal. In order to make our immense artistic heritage accessible, create jobs, boost quality tourism and preserve our ancient and unique cultural identity, public institutions, private corporations and associations need to start creatively cooperating, and at long last, Italian legislation has already been oriented in this direction.
In a few words, beauty generates wealth and it was around this idea the project “Le Dimore del Quartetto” came into being in 2015 (www.facebook.com/groups/ledimoredelquartetto/).
Conceived in collaboration with the ADSI Italian Historic Mansions Association and with the support of Terna, “Le Dimore del Quartetto” is an example of circular economy, in which the redundancy of space and the isolation of old mansions are turned into a resource for young musicians: a network of villas and stately homes, often kept closed so as not to exacerbate the huge operating costs, host string quartets free of charge, in order to allow them to prepare better for concerts and master classes. In return, the quartets, made up of young people, perform a concert in the dwelling open to the public. In this way, young musicians have the opportunity to get themselves known on the Italian scene, while the owners can make their dwellings known to the general public, dwellings which, via the concerts, relive and keep alive the tradition of chamber concerts.
“I thought of using the resources of the historic homes in order to create a sustainable culture throughout Italy,” explains Francesca Moncada, dei Principi di Paternò, Vice President of Associazione Piero Farulli and President of Le Dimore del Quartetto.
“Until now some forty stately dwellings have signed up for the project in Italy, while 15 Quartets have been involved. After the first year activity the success has been such that not only is the project expected to be exported around Europe, involving the European Historic Houses Association, but last November the crowdfunding platform operated by Telecom chose the project of Le Dimore del Quartetto as an example of a sharing economy in the cultural field worthy of funding ”
Donations via the TIM platform can be made until March 24, 2017 at https://withyouwedo.telecomitalia.com/projects/3541/le-dimore-del-quartetto
The next concert is scheduled for March 18, 2017 at the Castle of Lurano with the Quartet Nel Cuore of Madrid.