The MAC3 Museum - Museum of Art, Coral, Cameo and the City of Torre del Greco - is making its international debut at the upcoming edition of Vicenzaoro, taking place in Vicenza from 4 to 8 September.

Vicenzaoro is one of the three most important international trade fairs in the gold and jewellery sector worldwide, alongside Las Vegas and Hong Kong, and companies from Torre del Greco have been attending the event for more than 50 years.

For the first time, therefore, just a few months after its inauguration, the MAC3 Museum is moving beyond its local setting to promote itself on an international stage.

The initiative is part of the VIOFF programme, the Fuori Fiera event created through the collaboration between the Municipality of Vicenza and Italian Exhibition Group (IEG). At each edition of Vicenzaoro, VIOFF offers a programme of complementary initiatives designed to connect the city of Vicenza with the jewellery fair.

On 5 and 6 September, a virtual presentation of MAC3 will be hosted inside the Jewellery Museum of Vicenza, a museum that tells the story of Italian jewellery through its different manufacturing districts and historical periods.

The Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese, which currently manages the staff of the MAC3 Museum, immediately accepted the invitation from the organisers of Vicenzaoro to create this virtual gateway which, for two days, will introduce MAC3 to the many Italian and international visitors attending the events in Vicenza.

In addition, a skilled artisan will be present inside the Jewellery Museum to give live cameo-carving demonstrations, allowing visitors to enjoy an authentic hands-on experience and personally discover this two-hundred-year-old technique that has made Torre del Greco renowned throughout the world.

"As a Municipal Administration," says Luigi Mennella, Mayor of Torre del Greco, "we immediately welcomed the proposal submitted to us by the Consortium. The participation of companies from Torre del Greco in this important international fair is a long-established tradition, but for the first time it will be accompanied by an equally significant and identity-defining presence such as that of the MAC3 Museum. For the Municipality, MAC3 represents an important initiative created primarily to attract more visitors and provide them with the necessary elements to understand the historical importance of coral and cameo craftsmanship, a tradition that has made our artisans a unique example worldwide."

"We are particularly pleased to host an initiative at the Jewellery Museum dedicated to one of the most highly regarded jewellery traditions in Italy," comments Michela Amenduni, Managing Director of the Jewellery Museum. "The craftsmanship of coral and cameo, included in the National Bulletin of GIs - Geographical Indications for craft and industrial products, represents one of the most significant examples of creativity, savoir-faire and craftsmanship within Made in Italy, recognised throughout the world. Its workshop-based and interactive dimension perfectly reflects the vocation of the Museum and the spirit of VIOFF, enriching its programme of experiences with an opportunity to come into direct contact with this artisanal tradition and to appreciate its techniques, gestures and knowledge at close range."

"We would like to thank the management of Vicenzaoro for once again involving us in such an important international setting," says Vincenzo Aucella, President of the Consorzio Corallo e Cammeo Torrese and Assocoral. He continues: "We would also like to thank the Municipal Administration and the Culture Department, which immediately supported our commitment to bringing the city's Museum to Vicenza for two days, through a dedicated Municipal Executive Committee resolution. We are therefore continuing to implement concrete actions aimed at enhancing and promoting the MAC3 Museum and, indirectly, our artistic craftsmanship as well. We firmly believe that everyone must play their part, working together - public and private sectors alike - to write a new chapter for Torre del Greco."

The appointment is therefore with VIOFF on 5 and 6 September at the Jewellery Museum of Vicenza.