In an exceptional cultural dialogue, Assisi City Hall became the host of Romanian Easter traditions. A group of Italians, together with 60 Romanians, children and parents from the Rome area, discovered, at the beginning of April, the connection between Franciscan spirituality and the ancient craft of painted eggs.
The Easter holidays bring with them not only prayer, but also homesickness, which the association Romanian village managed to comfort him by a remarkable initiative. At the invitation of the local administration of Assisi, a large group of children and parents participated in an exchange of experiences and traditions that united, symbolically, the heart of Italy with the spirit of Bucovina.
A partnership under the sign of beauty
The event started with a visit to the exhibition “United by a thread of love”dedicated to traditional sewing from the Holy Land, organized by the Town Hall of Assisi, through Mrs. Tiziana Borsellini.
“A truly inspirational experience, both for the children of the Villaggio Romeno Cultural Association and for the parents who accompanied us on this wonderful journey. Our gratitude goes to the president of the Punto D’Assisi Academy, Tiziana Borsellini, for this exceptional partnership and to the Romanian Franciscan father Bejan Silvestru„he stated Luciana Ludușanpresident of the Villaggio Romeno association.
The “miracle” under the wax: the Italians, amazed by the Romanian technique
The highlight of the visit was the inking laboratory held by the spouses Maria and Ion Gorbanfolk craftsmen specially come from Magura, Suceava. Dressed in authentic folk costumes, they brought with them the “science” of the Chichita and Bucovina patience.
The Italian participants watched with bated breath the meticulous process: decorating eggs (chicken or duck) in stages, using the three main colors and the “paint bath” technique. The moment of greatest astonishment was that of the “washing” of the wax: as the layer of wax melted in the heat, it revealed geometric and vegetal motifs of rare splendor.
Impressed by the craftsmanship of the Romanians, Tiziana Borsellinithe president of the Punto D’Assisi Academy, emphasized the closeness between the traditions of the two peoples and has already launched the invitation for the craftsmen to return next year for courses dedicated to the inhabitants of Assisi.
The context was one of a high spiritual charge, the group of Romanians being guided by Franciscan brother Emanuelwho revealed to the children the stories of Saint Francesco and the secrets of the Cathedral of Assisi.
The tradition that goes on: From Pavona to the heart of Italy
The activities were not limited to Assisi. On the eve of Flowers, the craftsmen from Bucovina supported a similar laboratory at the headquarters of the association in Pavonaevent honored by the presence The Consul General of Romania in Italy, Marian Popescu.
For children from the diaspora, many of them born in Italy, these workshops are more than just craft lessons; they are open doors to their identity. Maria and Ion Gorban explained to them the meaning of the symbols and the techniques inherited from their ancestors — from emptying eggs for resistance, to the modern technique of wax relief.
Through such events, the “thread of love” that the Assisi exhibition talked about becomes a reality: an unbroken connection between Romanian roots and life in Italy, kept alive by the color and sanctity of the Easter egg.
