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Solidarity souvenirs from Friuli Venezia Giulia

Small purchases, big stories

When traveling, the moment always comes for "what do I bring home?". In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the answer can be much more interesting than the classic refrigerator magnet. There are hand-bound notebooks, bags made from reclaimed fabrics, artisanal ceramics, cookies produced in inclusive workshops, vegetables, and small objects that tell the story of the territory through the people who live in it and build it every day.

They are “solidarity souvenirs”: products made by social cooperatives, associations, and projects that promote work inclusion and paths to autonomy for people with disabilities.

They are not industrial productions, but rather they originate first and foremost from a laboratory activity, from putting into action and enhancing the people who are part of the social cooperative.

And it is precisely this that makes them special. They are often handmade, customizable items, produced in small quantities. They have different timelines from those of the industry, but also a different value: by purchasing them, a portion of the proceeds is reinvested in new projects and social activities.

Confezioni regalo con prodotti alimentari di La Volpe e il Gelso

In San Vito al Tagliamento, for example, the cooperative Il Piccolo Principe supports the historic Bottega della Solidarietà with the agricultural and social project “La Volpe sotto i Gelsi”: a place where you can find vegetables, plants, ceramics, small gifts, and handmade favors. Simple objects, but with a precise story behind them.

portachiavi ed orecchini colorati realizzati da Artelibro

In Udine, Arte e Libro has been working for over forty years on job inclusion. Born as a binding and craftsmanship workshop, today the cooperative has become a much larger reality, combining work, training, accessible tourism, and inclusive cuisine through the project Divergente Gourmet (you must try their frico, which has even made it to Paris at the UNESCO Restaurant). “The goal,” explains president Katia Mignogna, “is to help everyone find their place in work, but also in the world.” Today, Arte e Libro involves about a hundred people among workers, training paths, and individualized projects, also collaborating with numerous companies in the Friulian territory.

due ragazzi indossano gli zainetti creati da Lister Sartoria Sociale

In Trieste, in the San Giovanni Park — a symbol of the revolution of Franco Basaglia and the transformation of the former psychiatric hospital of Trieste — Social Tailoring Lister carries forward an idea of inclusion that combines work, creativity, and participation in the life of the city. In the Social Tailoring, recovered materials — banners, sails, ties, fabrics, and umbrellas — are transformed into backpacks, bags, and colorful accessories. Each piece is different from the other and also tells a small story of creative reuse.

I deliziosi biscotti bistorti di HattivaLab

Souvenir to... taste

You can't miss the souvenirs to taste, either to try during your stay in FVG or to take home. The "Bistorti" cookies from Hattiva Lab come from an inclusive workshop that combines artisanal production and job placement. To enjoy "on-site," we find in Udine, Diversamente Bistrot — a project promoted by ANFFAS Udine — which has become a very popular place for breakfasts, aperitifs, and lunches, where inclusion and daily work truly meet. In the Trieste Karst, AUTstanding offers a dining experience managed by young people with autism: a deliberately simple, authentic place, where the pace is that of the people who work there.

The Social Tavern The Place of Strawberries, in the San Giovanni Park in Trieste, is a bar-restaurant and cultural space. Managed by the social cooperative The Hill, it promotes work inclusion, sociality, relationship with the territory, and participation through catering, events, and cultural initiatives.

Perhaps this is the most beautiful meaning of a solidarity souvenir: not just buying an object, but bringing home a piece of Friuli Venezia Giulia made of relationships, time, work, and concrete possibilities. A memory that continues to tell the story of the territory even after the trip.

Where to find fair trade souvenirs in Friuli Venezia Giulia