The 4th European Wool Meeting in Metsovo – The wool cycle in the mountainous communities of Psiloritis

The 4th European Wool Day concluded by bringing forward key issues and perspectives for the multi-dimensional use of wool, in an excellent event organized by the European Wool Organization, the Municipality of Metsovo, the Egnatia Epirus Foundation, and our long-time friends and collaborators from the Zagori Ecomuseum.

A wide range of opportunities was presented, showing how wool can be used—from medical and therapeutic knitting to regenerative agriculture and insulation—while also remaining an important raw material for traditional weaving and contemporary creation.

It is important to note that the thread does not simply continue from where it was left; it is recreated, combining past experience with new directions and challenges for today. For this reason, we are especially happy to have been part of a European roundtable with shared concerns, different starting points and paths, but common goals with social impact.

In Metsovo, a place with a rich cultural tradition, we saw how love for one’s homeland can become the main motivation to stay, invest in it, and strengthen a circular and creative local economy.

We sincerely thank the Mayor of Metsovo, Ms. Maria Christina Averof, and the President of the Egnatia Epirus Foundation, Ms. Elena Averof, for their warm hospitality. We also thank the President of the European Wool Organization, Dr. Alberto Costa, and Ms. Dora for the opportunity to meet and exchange such interesting ideas, Ms. Rekata for her valuable support, and our dear friend Panagiota Koutsoukou, President of the Zagori Ecomuseum, for the invitation and the chance to experience their important work.

Presentation by Giorgis Kalomoiris

Dear friends,
Good evening,

My name is Giorgis Kalomoiris. I am an archaeologist and cultural manager from the mountainous Municipality of Anogeia in Crete, in the Psiloritis area, representing our team, the cultural organization Androidus–Argastiri.

We are here today as a joint local delegation μαζί with the Mayor of Anogeia, Mr. Sokratis Kefalogiannis, the advisor on cultural heritage Mr. Manolis Vrendzos, and our collaborators Marina Geronti and Antonis Dagiantas, with whom we designed this presentation.

As a cultural organization, we aim to build a bridge between locality and digitality, connecting cultural heritage with social innovation and linking circular economy with social impact.

Our participation in the 4th European Wool Day, held for the first time in Greece, reflects our belief in collaboration between production sectors and in highlighting culture as a dynamic force for human activity in mountainous communities like Psiloritis.

Starting from pastoral life in Psiloritis and traditional weaving, and combining it with new technologies and international collaborations—especially the creation of a new weaving school in Anogeia—our goal is to support a modern revival of craftsmanship and to build a new ecosystem of creators in the region.

Today, as digital technology becomes part of everyday life, municipalities and communities can collect and present their cultural identity and highlight their unique characteristics.

For us, advanced technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, along with digital oral history archives, are tools to connect the knowledge of the past with the needs of today. Since 2019, we have been researching, documenting, and sharing the cultural identity of our region as a living heritage of crafts, traditions, and practices passed down through generations.

We developed a proposal for the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage titled “Pastoral Life and the World of the Shepherd in Psiloritis,” following the wool cycle—from flocks and pastures to looms, weaving, and creative entrepreneurship.

This work was carried out collaboratively with the municipalities of Psiloritis, the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology, and the local community, through the European research project IDAology.

The results include a 360° virtual experience, an augmented reality storytelling application about shepherd life, and a digital archive with stories related to wool, dry-stone structures, cheese-making, and pastoral life.

Our approach led us to pursue the creation of a weaving school in Anogeia, aiming to revive this craft while respecting tradition and adapting it to modern challenges.

Our goal is to help establish a new generation of wool professionals, supported by academic institutions and the Ministry of Culture, offering tools and opportunities for local people.

Our actions are connected with contemporary trends in fashion, art, and cultural management, using knowledge as a driver of a “glo-cal” (local to global) strategy.

Our latest initiative, Adractos, connects traditional weaving with contemporary art and craftsmanship, supported by the Ministry of Culture.

We aim to create a virtual reality museum that combines traditional weaving patterns from Anogeia with contemporary artistic expression.

Five weavers and five contemporary artists collaborate to create original artworks that will be presented in a virtual museum, allowing visitors to experience the journey from wool thread to the digital world.

Adractos symbolizes the spindle—an essential tool in transforming wool into thread—highlighting the importance of collaboration and creativity in today’s fast-changing world.

Through projects like Adractos, IDAology, Metartum, and our digital archives, we are gradually building the “Digital Psiloritis,” connecting natural and cultural heritage.

In conclusion, all these actions form part of a cultural mosaic that connects heritage with innovation in the era of the metaverse, focusing on the mountain, the local community, and the concept of “Aori” as a cultural and natural sanctuary.

“Aori” represents both a mountain and a place beyond limits, reflecting our vision of a space—both physical and digital—where people can explore our work.

It is a blend of past, present, and future, bringing Psiloritis and its communities from traditional landscapes into the digital world through the emerging field of digital culture.

Thank you very much.