From 18 to 20 September, the first meeting between the two communities will focus on vertical looms and passing on craft knowledge
From 18 to 20 September, Sarule will welcome the Spanish delegation from Alcaraz for the first event of “Twin Threads: Sarule–Alcaraz for a Europe of Vertical Looms” (TWIN LOOMS). Funded by the European Union through the CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, the project is coordinated by the Municipality of Sarule, with the participation of the Ayuntamiento de Alcaraz and the support of Focus Europe ETS.
The twinning was strongly supported by the Mayor of Sarule, Maurizio Sirca, with the aim of promoting the town’s textile heritage and building a lasting collaborative relationship with the community of Alcaraz.
The meeting will centre on two textile traditions that use the vertical loom: sa burra from Sarule and the alfombras de Alcaraz, characterised by the nudo español technique. Craftspeople, institutional representatives and citizens will be able to compare materials, decorative patterns and working methods, exploring the role of weaving in the life of their respective communities.
The twinning programme includes institutional sessions devoted to European cooperation, workshops and practical demonstrations, meetings with the women weavers and a visit to the Ethnographic Museum of Nuoro. Discussions will also address passing on skills to younger generations, gender equality in crafts and the opportunities for participation offered by promoting cultural heritage.
The meeting will take place during the weekend of Autunno in Barbagia – Cortes Apertas, scheduled in Sarule for 19 and 20 September. SarulExpo will give the delegation an opportunity to discover the workshops, crafts and places of the host community. The twinning activities devoted to weaving will link up with demonstrations in the local programme, encouraging direct exchanges with craftspeople.
Among the public events, on Sunday 20 September at 10:30, near Piazza Don Soro, “…Prima de tessere” will provide an opportunity to observe S’Ordinzu, the preparation of the vertical loom and the dyeing of wool, led by the town’s women weavers. In the same square, during Cortes Apertas, the looms and weavers will take centre stage in creating the “tourist’s rug”. On 18 September, Piazza San Michele will also host A Diosa Fest, dedicated to Salvatore Sini and “Non potho reposare”.
The experiences and accounts gathered during the meeting will contribute to the multilingual toolkit and audiovisual materials planned by the project, documenting the techniques and making them accessible to a wider audience. The process will continue with a second event in Alcaraz, where the signing of the Twinning Charter and the presentation of a development proposal for a future European network of weaving towns are planned.
