Faenza applies to become a UNESCO Creative City for Ceramics
The application of Faenza to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network stems from the desire to enhance and promote its ancient ceramic heritage on an international level. It is not merely about acknowledging a well-established craft tradition—one that has made the term faïence synonymous with ceramics in many parts of the world—but rather about embracing a vision that seeks to share with the network a model of growth based on creativity. This vision aims to connect culture, landscape, and sustainable development.
A city that looks to the future while preserving its past
Faenza is a city that looks ahead while valuing its history. This was evident even after the floods of 2023 and 2024, when the same blue clay praised by Leonardo da Vinci as the “earth for making jugs” became a force of devastation, flooding streets and homes. The community responded with extraordinary energy: citizens, artisans, and institutions came together to restore, in record time, the spaces of creativity and ceramic production, reaffirming culture as the foundation of reconstruction.
A landscape that becomes a project
The uniqueness of the Vena del Gesso Romagnola, recognized as a UNESCO site in 2023, reinforces this awareness. Faenza is redefining its urban development to create a new harmony between city and landscape. In this vision, culture becomes the primary driver of a sustainable transformation, involving both the restoration of disused spaces and urban regeneration, fostering new hubs for creative production, exchange, and innovation. This vision aligns with the 2030 Agenda (SDGs 4, 8, 11, 13, 16), promoting inclusive and environmentally responsible growth.
A shared journey
It is no coincidence that the candidacy process began in June 2024 with the Festival dei Calanchi, an event that celebrates the deep connection between ceramics and the land from which it originates. In the following months, the entire cultural ecosystem of the city engaged in a participatory process of discussion and planning, culminating in the official announcement during Argillà Italia, the International Ceramics Festival and Market Fair. This biennial event provided Faenza with the ideal stage to reaffirm its commitment to creativity and engage with a global audience.
A vision for the future
Convinced that exchange and collaboration are vital to every creative community, Faenza promoted the foundation of the Italian Association of Ceramic Cities (AiCC) in 1999, which today unites 56 centers of artisanal excellence, with Faenza as its headquarters and leader. In addition to consolidating its national role, Faenza has built a vast international network over time, forging twin-city relationships with historic ceramic hubs such as Jingdezhen and Toki, strengthening dialogue and cultural exchange with the world’s major ceramic cities.
Further confirming its international vocation, Faenza has taken on a leadership role in the European Route of Ceramics, a Cultural Route recognized by the Council of Europe in 2012, dedicated to promoting Europe’s ceramic heritage through cooperation among cities and institutions that share this ancient tradition.
A commitment to innovation and sustainability
Joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Faenza’d bring this extensive experience to support a shared model of growth based on responsible innovation and sustainability. Its education system, which seamlessly integrates tradition and new technologies, offers a concrete contribution to rethinking the value of craftsmanship in the digital age—positioning the “Faenza system” as a model for the third millennium.
Supported by institutions, professional associations, and international partners, Faenza’s candidacy aims to demonstrate how craftsmanship can be a driving force for sustainable development, innovation, and intercultural dialogue.
Events and meetings of dissemination and dialogue regarding Faenza’s application
June 20, 2024
Festival dei Calanchi e delle Argille Azzurre
Faenza, Padiglione delle Argille Azzurre
August 30-31 and September 1, 2024
Argillà Italia
Faenza, city centre
October 6, 2024
Unesco’s day
Faenza, International Museum of Ceramics
October 12, 2024
Contemporary arts’ day
Faenza, International Museum of Ceramics and Carlo Zauli Museum
October 24, 2024
Tourism Lab / Workshop to co-create a new touristic eco-itinerary
Faenza, Sala dell’Arengo in Palazzo del Podestà
November 26, 2024
Tourism Lab / Workshop to co-create a new touristic eco-itinerary
Faenza, Sala dell’Arengo in Palazzo del Podestà
December 18, 2024
Meeting with the cultural operators of Faenza
Faenza, Carlo Zauli Museum
January 17, 2025
Sant’Antonio, Patron of ceramic artists
Faenza, Rione Verde
February 4, 2025
Workshop with the cultural operators of Faenza
Faenza, Sala dell’Arengo in Palazzo del Podestà
February 24, 2025
Ceramics and territory: a dialogue between crafts and industry
Faenza, City hall
April 10, 2025
Faenza application to Unesco Creative Cities Network
Pesaro, Palazzo Gradari (Annual Meeting, UNESCO Cities of Music)
May 6, 2025
The value of creativity in Faenza and the challenge of the application as UNESCO creative city
The Mayor dialogues with Gian Paolo Mazella, specialist in urban creative policies
Faenza, Carlo Zauli Museum