Do you remember art projects as a child that involved strips of newspaper and paste made from flour and water? The practice of the cartapesta (paper mache) has been an art form in Lecce, Italy for centuries.

Used as an inexpensive substitute for plaster, stone or wood, paper carvings were popular for church statues and embellishments. A multi-step process that is now duplicated by machines in competing countries, Lecce continues to celebrate skilled artists of cartapesta.

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Source: http://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/