Source: press office of the Presidency of the Chamber of Commerce of Treviso Belluno|Dolomiti
The Chamber of Commerce is hosting the “Bethlehem” exhibition in the beautiful Sala Borsa, a precious moment during this Christmas period.
An exhibition open to all so that everyone can grasp the proposals for reflection selected for visitors and tourists, almost like a pilgrimage to a secular place.
The idea was born to offer an opportunity to stop for a moment in this period of pandemic and Christmas festivities together.
A city community need in direct connection with the Holy Land where families are experiencing a particularly difficult time. A poor economy, in fact, based on the sale of the artefacts sold to the
pilgrims whose absence has led to a situation of poverty for these families.
We will be able to see these artefacts in the exhibition open from Monday to Thursday from 9.00 to 18.00, also on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 December at the Chamber of Commerce in Treviso,
with the possibility of purchasing items made by the artisans of bethlehem.
The intention is therefore to create a link between Treviso and the Holy Land capable of keeping alive the energy that comes from visiting the lands of the nativity.
We grasped the essence offered by Father Francesco Ielpo, commissioner of the Custody of the Holy Land in northern italy.
I am delighted with this meeting at the Chamber of Commerce, – emphasises President Mario Pozza, – where doing business is an opportunity for relationships and reflection. Distant
worlds interrupted by the pandemic enter into dialogue with the Bethlehem exhibition and the artefacts, the expression of a craft economy.
This is what the Chamber of Commerce is all about – says Secretary General Romano Tiozzo –at a time when we also need to nourish our souls, aimed at doing good things in our daily
lives and doing good business, looking to the future and to young people. A widespread look at the Holy Land is certainly an opportunity to reflect on a reality in search of a solution that has not
yet been found.
The exhibition – continues Father Francesco Ielpo, Commissioner of the Holy Land, in connection from Milan – is composed of three parts: historical, artistic and current, the most
delicate. Bethlehem’s economy revolves around religious tourism, more than 11,000 families live off the pilgrimage industry, including transport, hotels and restaurants. With the pandemic there
was a total loss of jobs. For us Franciscans, the primary mission is to take care of the Holy Places and the people who live there by building houses, creating schools and introducing them to the
world of work. Cooperatives for handicrafts have been created, with the possibility of teaching a trade to the local people and at the same time allowing the Palestinians to stay in the Holy
Places. The crisis has resulted in a dramatic desertification of the territories of Bethlehem, families have moved in search of a future perspective. Thanks to the Chamber of Commerce, we have the
opportunity to raise awareness and give dignity to the craftsmanship of the inhabitants of bethlehem.
Don Michele Marcato, teacher at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences and guide for the Holy Land, then spoke – it is a suffering not to be able to return to the Holy Land at
present, we can pray and stay informed. Citizens have shown interest in the pilgrimage and the exhibition is a very important tool for raising awareness.
Maria Letizia Chiavellati of the Association Una Luce di Speranza concludes – For 30 years we have been connecting Italian and Palestinian schools, allowing an exchange of letters between
students. But not only that, students of different religions collaborate by respecting each other. The message of the exhibition, made up of a collection of posters created by the students,
underlines that communicating beyond the wall is possible.
The exhibition is open
Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m,
Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
with the possibility of purchasing objects made by Bethlehem’s craftsmen.
