THE BEEKEEPING HERITAGE OF KYTHERA
The Beekeeping Tradition of Kythera is now inscribed on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece!
The Ministry of Culture states: "In Kythera, where the Virgin Mary the Evil Bee is glorified, beekeeping has a timeless influence on the agri-food tradition, customs, rituals, proverbs, literature and place names of the island and is an integral part of the local identity. Man and nature, meadows with rare herbs, pollinators and beekeepers work together harmoniously for the production of precious honey, which holds a respected place in every Kythira household. It is the experiential knowledge of a centuries-old beekeeping asset which has shaped and been followed by the society of Kythera and constitutes a rich living heritage that needs to be highlighted and preserved".
Congratulations to the KYTHERIAN FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE & DEVELOPMENT for the initiative of compiling and submitting the file of the element to the Ministry of Culture for inscription, thanks to which this historic distinction was achieved for Kythera, our traditional beekeeping, but also global beekeeping.
Through the action "Traditional beekeeping in movable-comb hives", BEELOSOPHY aims to contribute to the promotion, preservation and safeguard of the Greek traditional beekeeping method of movable combs. Kythera is the only place in the world where, historically, movable-comb hives of various types were exclusively used. The inscription of the Beekeeping Tradition of Kythera on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage strengthens the ability of traditional beekeeping bearers to share their own cultural experience, to speak about their collective identity and to formulate proposals for the preservation of the beekeeping heritage; therefore, it contributes significantly to the objectives of the aforementioned action.
The action
TRADITIONAL BEEKEEPING IN MOVABLE-COMB HIVES (ATTICA & KYTHERA)
is implemented with financial support and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture
