We arrived in Ono San Pietro as the sun that settled with the white clouds on the sharp peaks of the mountains and hills characteristic for this region. The village of Ono San Pietro is situated in the valley of the Oglio River, which is a deep slope in the South-Eastern Alps. The weather is vague, and the landscape is full of greenery and hot cascades.

In our opinion, the thousand-year occupancy of the valley caused the theme of our project entitled “Artisans do it better“.
Over the youth exchange of ten days, we visited local craftsmen – artists who used natural materials to find a new purpose to traditional objects. From the wooden bench in collaboration with the Milan design studios, an abstract, multifunctional structure is created that would not be a side of a luxurious, modern apartment in a metropolis. If you think that cement is only for building houses, you would change your mind if you went to Valle Camonica. Finely milled cement in the hands of these people turns into lamps, cupboards and fruit bowls. We also visited the gentleman who had traveled the whole world with the Milan Scala and then decided to revive his childhood dream and transform his home into a workshop for the restoration of the organ.

At the end of the week, we walked to the largest complex of stone engravings, which is also the oldest Italian national park. Residents of Valle Camonica have made an amazing brand of themselves, although nearly a hundred tourists visit them annually.

The ancient symbol of rosa camuna is carved into rocks as the coat of arms of the whole province and Lombardy. As a souvenir, tourists buy cheese produced in the valley in the shape of a rose.
On the tiles, benches, and traffic signs of the surrounding villages have depicted the characters from ancient times-hunters, shamans, deer, plowmen… These signs are protected by UNESCO.

Valle Camonica is a place where past and present move hand in hand, absorbing just as much of the modern world as it is necessary to show that they still breathe, that they are still alive.

The project included participants from Hungary, Romania, Spain, Croatia, and Italy. In spite of the great language barriers, we have been successful in completing all the tasks because we have been lovers of art, nature and good wine.

We spent days working on team tasks where we developed start-ups, created a company logo, prepared plays, and improvised hand-made musical instruments. Visiting lecturers and departments gave us an insight into the interplay of industry, design, and handicrafts.

Every evening, each country had an international opportunity to prepare food and to present their country, so the participants tasted our modified version of the “kuruzna zlevanka” (in Italy they do not produce a sour cream or corn flour, so we used polenta) and made “fritule”.

The project inspired us to be brave enough to start our own artistic adventure. We have met good people and their cultures, made friends, and we carry memories that we will remember for a lifetime.

You can also feel the project energy by watching the video! 🙂

Participants: Lidija Krznar, Anita Krtalić, Dunja Kanižaj, Laura Bevc, Tena Piljušić, and Ivana Maja Miličević

Photos and video created by Anita Krtalić.