Cristine Tedesco launches book and documentary on dressa tradition

Writer and historian Cristine Tedesco is launching a new book and documentary titled ‘O trigo é meu cristal – Memórias do artesanato em dressa’ at the Museu do Imigrante in Bento Gonçalves. The project aims to preserve the tradition of ‘dressa’, a wheat straw weaving technique brought to the Serra Gaúcha region by Italian immigrants.

The documentary serves as a technical guide to ensure the craft is passed down to future generations, featuring interviews with artisans from Bento Gonçalves, Pinto Bandeira, Protásio Alves, Farroupilha, and Paraí. The initiative also supports efforts to have dressa recognized as intangible cultural heritage in Bento Gonçalves.