The Foundation has promoted, supported and coordinated with professional and financial support the most significant expressions of Campania's artisanal excellence:
Sacred art and nativity scene
Training courses organized by the Theotokos Association for the restoration of ancient Neapolitan shepherds (nativity scene characters);
"Te piace 'o presepe? no nun me piace ..."
"Do you like the nativity scene? I don't like it..."
Eduardo De Filippo - "Natale in casa Cupiello (Christmas at the Cupiello house). Multi-year support for the Artisan Association of Friends of the Nativity Scenes of San Gregorio Armeno (the Via dei Presepi) interpreter of the popular symbolism of the Neapolitan Shepherd (nativity scene characters);
Graphic art
training courses on composition techniques, held by maestro Mario Raffone;
The Art of Bookbinding
Training courses on vintage sewing and bookbinding techniques, organized by Annalisa Mignogna Merlino's Legatoria Artigiana;
Paper marbling
training courses on the processing technique and application of the material, held by master Gianpaolo Della Valle;
Processing of corals, cameos and semi-precious stones
Creation and management of a prestigious professional training school. School that operates in classrooms and laboratories loaned by the Municipality of Torre del Greco;
Various arts
The in-depth study of cognitive techniques on artistic craftsmanship in general within the "Citadel of artistic craftsmanship" promoted by the Municipality of Naples;
Carpentry, cabinet making and ceramics
Training courses held for young guests of the Nisida Institute, a structure of the Ministry of Justice
Carpentry - Shipwrights
Apprenticeship of methods for the restoration to the original of vintage boats of notable historical interest. Restoration of the yacht La Spina, the first vessel (1929) of the Italian shipbuilding industry in the 12-metre international tonnage class. Intervention carried out by the Aprea PeninsulaNavis shipyard, in the areas of the Military Cord Production Plant of Castellamare di Stabia. Areas made available by the Defense Industry Agency.
Ancient Ceramic Manufactory Fratelli Stingo
Since the end of the 18th century, uninterrupted production of terracotta artefacts. The only and last company, which survived the 18th century, still in possession of the historical, artistic and documentary heritage of tools, equipment, forms, drawings, matrices of small and large masterpieces scattered around the world, as well as a vast repertoire of paper models for decorations with the "dusting" technique.
The Emiddio Mele Foundation intended to safeguard the wisdom and manual skills of the no longer young workers who are custodians of the techniques of the past, raising their awareness for the transmission of their technical knowledge by working alongside a new generation of artisans. To support training, the Foundation has provided significant professional and material resources for this purpose.
Typical ceramic
Training courses organized by the Vietri Art Center Association of Giovanna Solimene;
Art of metalworking and gilding and wood finishing
As part of the project "L'impresa di fare impresa" (The enterprise of doing business), assisted by the Office for Labor Pastoral Care of the Archdiocese of Naples. The launch of training courses on the artistic working of metals and on the processes for working and gilding wood. Courses held in rooms granted free use by the Curia of Naples;
Art of working green volcanic rock
training of stonemasons in the processing of stone from Mount Epomeo in the recovery project of the rural parish church of the monumental and environmental site of the Church of the Ciglio in Serrara Fontana, municipality on the island of Ischia;
Art of luthiery
theoretical and practical training lessons on the restoration of ancient stringed musical instruments. Dissertations created in collaboration with the Governing Body of Pio Monte della Misericordia, as part of the project "the house of arts and crafts".
Amici di Capodimonte - Mele Progetto 7
(Friends of Capodimonte - Mele Project 7)
It is a cycle of theoretical-practical studies inspired by themes related to architecture and curated by the Archipicchia Association! Architecture for children. The activity is promoted and supported by the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte and by the Friends of Capodimonte Ets Association, and is carried out with the contribution of the Mele Foundation.
Amici di Capodimonte - "Mille e una storia tra libri e opere d'arte"
Friends of Capodimonte - "A thousand and one stories between books and works of art"
The Museum and Real Bosco di Capodimonte presented the Museum's reading cycle of books and works of art, dedicated to raising parents' awareness of artistic activities for children, organized by the bookshop "My grandfather is Michelangelo" in collaboration with Amici di Capodimonte Ets.
Associazione Scarlatti
Scarlatti Association
The Mele Foundation considered the multi-year musical cycle designed by the Scarlatti Association to be of considerable artistic interest for the training of new musical talents; project compliant with the objectives pursued by the organisation. It therefore arranged professional and material resources to achieve the goal, assuming the patronage of the event.
2022 "Mozart Project"
get to know Mozart through the performance of his piano works: the sonatas, fantasies and four-hand repertoire. A complete performance of the keyboard work (29 sonatas in total) on the stage of Naples, in the Anglican Church with a repeat in Salerno, in the Church of San Giorgio, for a total of 14 concerts in which the alternation of 18 different artists has demonstrated their piano mastery.
2023 “Music under the stars”
execution of Rachmaninov's program with 7 repetitions performed in the park of the Villa Pignatelli Museum.
2024 “A Sunday with music!”
From 7 April to 26 May 2024 the Alessandro Scarlatti Association in collaboration with the Campania Regional Museums Directorate has organized the new exhibition of 6 events which will take place in the Neoclassical Veranda of Villa Pignatelli. These are concerts that seek the interaction between music and other arts (theatre and dance) with a prevalence of young excellences of international and national level.
Rotary International
Support for the restoration of the twin organs of the Church of San Gregorio Armeno
Built between 1737 and 1742. Restoration carried out by the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape on behalf of the Municipality of Naples, provider of the "Art Bonus". The restoration was carried out by a highly specialized master craftsman from Campania, assisted by apprentices working in his laboratory. Qualified laboratory for the processing of metal musical instruments.
Furthermore, over the years the Foundation has:
• awarded scholarships to students of the Francesco Saverio Nitti State Professional Institute for scholastic merit;
• provided scholarships to deserving students of the Université Européenne Jean Monnet Higher Education School on the study project for the compatible development of artisan businesses in Campania in the Mediterranean basin;
• supported, as the major financier, the Amici di Capodimonte Association (sponsored by the Regional School Office of the Ministry of Public Education, the Province and the Municipality of Naples), for the educational project aimed at knowledge and awareness of the excellences of history, culture and artisan art of Campania. The project, created for students of lower and upper secondary schools in Naples, is carried out with the presentation of the topics in the same school classrooms and with subsequent visits to the restoration laboratories of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage;
• promoted the monthly publications, in the two-year period 2005/7 in the glossy magazine "Den", of the 4-page insert: Images of a time gone by. Episodes evocative of the style of the time extracted from the Mele Archive and narrated by Francesca Mele;
• encouraged, in the age of youth training, the evolution of creativity to manual arts by allowing and supporting the realization of the MeLeprogetto programs in the exhibition rooms of the Mele Manifestos in the Capodimonte Museum. Places designated as a source of inspiration, the secrets of design creativity for the little "architects" educated by Nathan Rogers, of the "archipicchia! architecture for children" Association;
• supported the training projects promoted by the San Camillo Association with the "I'll tell you" workshop. Association led by the Sisters of Charity of the Assumption;
• contributed to the restoration of the Bellini Hall of the Royal Conservatory of San Pietro a Majella. As evidence, the inscription was placed in the Hall: "The recovery of the forms and images of the Bellini Hall is the work of the Emiddio Mele Foundation which, in the myth "from the sign to the sound" intended to preserve, as a warning to the musical education of the new generations, a site that collects the centuries-old, incomparable heritage of the history of musical works and instruments"