Italian Craftsmanship in Victoria

Talk with Dr Celestina Sagazio. Italians have long been associated with fine craftsmanship and great enterprise. Craftsmanship is a broad term encompassing a range of skills and talents. This illustrated presentation celebrates the rich cultural contribution of leading Italian-Australian craftsmen such as architects, builders, painters, sculptors, stonemasons and engineers. Women are represented as painters, sculptors, fashion designers and as experts in traditional domestic crafts. They include goldsmith/silversmith Fortunato Rocca, the maker of the Melbourne Cup, artists George Baldessin and Maria Teresa Vigano, mosaicist Antonio Barrese, terrazzo contractors De Marco Brothers and fashion designer Itala Serini. Dr Celestina Sagazio is Historian and Manager of Cultural Heritage of the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, which manages Melbourne General Cemetery. She previously worked as an historian for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) for 26 years. Celestina is a recognised authority on the history of Italians and cemeteries in Victoria. She is the author/editor of a number of publications, including A Walk Through Italian Carlton, Italian Craftsmanship and Building in Victoria, Cemeteries: Our Heritage, and was a contributor to the award-winning Carlton book. Celestina is an experienced heritage historian and an informative public speaker.