It's not easy to define the tradition, and even less to pin down. Fashions and tastes change: the artisan is a person who, to stand out, must be able to respond to his public, or even create his own public. Nonetheless, he has the backing of a unique history. It’s the story of his mountains, his villages; it’s the collective wealth that comes from legends, the richness of imagery of patois, the practices connected to certain moments of the year, of festivals and work, and the objects symbolising these practices. It’s the heritage that comes from precise and specific gestures, of those who want to construct or create something, from a simple ornament of a tool to sculpting a saint for the altar on a path. It’s everyman’s story, which today’s artisan interprets every time.

IVAT as the organisation for emphasising the heritage of craftsmanship has inaugurated the Museum of Craftsmanship in Aosta Valley. This is the first step for disseminating craftsmanship as a cultural element resulting from a local identity. Materials, actions, techniques: these are the key elements to be discovered and respected in tradition for being able to continue.