“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Albert Einstein
Serica 1870 authored a National Narrative award for original stories and, along with Fondazione Cariplo, Banca di Piacenza and the Pavia Chamber of Commerce, is a Partner in the L’ORO DI ZAVATTARELLO Literary Award.
The honey bee population is in danger and, because the hills of the Oltrepò Montano are located far from major highways and the spraying of vineyards and orchards, they are becoming an oasis for bees.
The Award aims to instill in bees, and in humanity, the hope for a better future.
Now that international clinical studies have demonstrated the antibacterial properties of honey, even in cases resistant to synthetic antibiotics, rural areas that have preserved the ideal habitat for honey bees are places where apiculture can blossom into an activity that creates jobs and economic development.
The first edition of this Literary Award attracted widespread, passionate participation – 51 stories that might never have been written, penned by people from all walks of life, sensitive to the “Help me!” call of the bees.
A prestigious jury had the difficult task of selecting the most deserving tales, now collected in the L’ORO DI ZAVATTARELLO anthology, edited by Guardamagna Editori in Varzi.