Lombardy, one of Europe’s “four driving forces", continues to possess a specific cultural and historical identity and, at the same time, it plays a pivotal role in Italy’s manufacturing industry, also thanks to the vitality of its artistic crafts. Owing to its territorial and cultural closeness, the Canton of Ticino constitutes a crucial reference point for the future of the artistic crafts.
In the course of time, artistic crafts have evolved in these regions both in terms of what they represent and of their image, interpreting the new demands of the public. This is not, therefore, a cultural and professional phenomenon that has survived in just a few protected pockets, but an important manufacturing reality.
The study also dedicates attention to the educational panorama and to the role played by the institutions in promoting and safeguarding this important sector.