(28 June 2016) A former ambassador, architect, anthropologist, artist and graphic designer. The ‘Green Museum’ project was born through an original and innovative idea that meeting tradition, crafts, history and culture. The project was presented yesterday in Asunción: The Italian Embassy to Paraguay and the Cabildo Republic Cultural Center have presented the “Green Museum” project to the Minister of Tourism Marcela Bacigalupo and Minister of Culture Mabel Causarano. The “Green Museum” stems from the idea of former ambassador Gherardo La Francesca, who throughout these years has grown accustomed to the Paraguayan Chaco region, the indigenous community who reside there, their traditions and cultural riches. According to the Italian Embassy in Asuncion, La Francesca has led the project the project in terms of promoting the ethnologist Guido Boggiani’s featherwork art collection on behalf of the Pigorini Museum in Rome and the CNR’s archaeological expedition which recently led to the discovery of bones and fragments of pottery that prove the existence of human settlements over 2000 years ago. The project was carried out in close contact with the local community, especially with the Cacique of the village of Karcha Bahlut, giving rise to the idea of building a place dedicated to memory and the present, a small self-sustaining museum, built by the natives themselves under Italian design which could hold the beautiful indigenous craft creations, paintings, palm fibers, wood sculptures, featherwork, as well as the finds from the CNR’s archaeological expedition, including two important and well preserved burials currently the subject of study and restoration in Rome. A “prototype” of the museum, replicable in various parts of the country, in which each community can gather their own cultural identity and create an emblematic place for inhabitants and tourists was possible through the collaboration with Italian architect Camilla Persi, anthropologist Father José Zanardini, Felix Toranzos one of the best Paraguayan artists, and graphic designer Laura Martinez. The project is an example of the possibility to achieve with extremely limited resources and the involvement of local labour. (Red)
