The “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie di Pastellessa” was founded on the 1 April 2008. The organization is formed by the ancient “Comitato Sant’Antonio Abate” (St. Anthony Abbot’s Committee), established more than one hundred years ago within the Abbatial Church “San Martino Vescovo” in Macerata Campania, therefore under the jurisdiction of the Abbot in charge, and the “Battuglie di Pastellessa” of Macerata Campania, groups of barrel percussionists (barrels, vats and sickles are the rural instruments used). As “Comitato Sant’Antonio Abate” and “Battuglie di Pastellessa” are active on the territory since more than one hundred years, with cultural promotion, safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
In according to 2003 UNESCO Convention, the “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie Pastellessa” is actively engaged in the organization of the ancient “Festa di Sant’Antuono” (Feast of Saint Anthony, the Abbot), in Macerata Campania – Italy, the promoting and the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of the “Battuglia di Pastellessa”, which it’s unique for many aspects.
In addition, the following aims are pursued: make concrete the values of solidarity and participation, through actions and initiatives aimed at solving social problems of all segments of the population, with particular attention to those mostly affected by injustices and imbalances deriving by social development model; defend and promote the territory in all its aspects – ecological, urban, artistic, social and religious – and all its potential strength – in terms of tourism, sport, production and leisure management, against all forms of exploitation and deterioration.
Membership to the “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie Pastellessa” is free, without any kind of discrimination with regard to race, citizenship, sex or religious belief. Other Associations, Committees, Institutions and Foundations, sharing the same purposes of the organization, can apply for membership.
The organization today includes more than 1000 members, that are part of the “Battuglie di Pastellessa” active on the territory (are more than 25 groups). In particular, each “Battuglia di Pastellessa” includes 50-55 barrel percussionists, plus around 15 staff members, which makes a total of around 70 persons per “Battuglia di Pastellessa”.
Year of accreditation: 2014
Domain(s): (a) oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage; (b) performing arts; (c) social practices, rituals and festive events; (e) traditional craftsmanship.
Main Safeguarding measures: a) identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making); b) preservation, protection; c) promotion, enhancement; d) transmission, (non-) formal education; e) revitalization
The “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie Pastellessa” cooperates with the local communities, through a continuous relationship with young and elder people to maintain and transmit the tradition. Young people are invited to join in the practice of playing the various typical musical instruments used while elder people participate in the transmission of techniques and patterns of playing and singing, in order to create, maintain and transmit the intangible cultural heritage of the area.
The relationships with the local communities are extremely tight and all members of the “Battuglie di Pastellessa” are young and elder people of these communities. They share the same cultural tradition and work all year in order to prepare the “Festa di Sant’Antuono”, that takes place in Macerata Campania – Italy on 17 January and previous days: besides learning to play, teaching how to play, the activities include the preparation of the musical instruments (barrels, vats, sickles), preparation of the ornamental wagons that will carry the barrel percussionists around the city and with their decorations which transform them into huge floats. Writing of the music and songs, during the year, and designing the patterns for the decoration of the wagons are some of the other activities implemented by the “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie di Pastellessa” through its members.
In order to fulfill the safeguarding activities for the intangible cultural heritage, the “Associazione Sant’Antuono & le Battuglie Pastellessa” collaborates with other Associations, Committees, Institutions and Foundations. Besides it signed a cooperation agreements with school of Macerata Campania member of national network UNESCO Associated Schools (Project “Saperi, arti e tradizioni in cattedra”), signed a cooperation agreements with Association “Giochi Antichi” of Verona – Italy in order to safeguard the traditional games and established the Study Centre “Historia Loci” for research, studies and cataloguing of intangible cultural heritage and events of all kinds.
With the aim of disseminating knowledge about the intangible heritage, the organization has created a network of Internet Web (Official website, YouTube channel, Facebook page/group, Twitter page, etc…) that allows to communicate and interact with the people all the world (Project “Sant’Antuono Web 2.0”).
Main countries where the NGO works: Italy
Local, national or international level of the NGO: National
