The Stia Biennial of Ironwork Art took part in the third edition of the national Volontari@Work 2026 Award, an initiative promoted by Fondazione Terzjus to recognise and highlight experiences of skills-based volunteering.

The award ceremony took place on 13 April in Rome, in the Sala del Mappamondo at the Chamber of Deputies. Representing the Associazione Autonoma per la Biennale d’Arte Fabbrile di Stia were President Maria Gemma Bendoni and board member Daniela Ceccarelli.

Although the Biennale was not among the winning projects, the nomination represented an important acknowledgement of its organisational model, which is built on the essential contribution of volunteers. Since its founding in 1976, the event has in fact relied on the active participation of the local community, which supports the association in cultural promotion, the logistical organisation of the event, and the welcoming of artists.

Today, the Biennale can count on a network of more than one hundred volunteers who contribute a wide range of skills, from the technical management of the forges to language mediation for blacksmiths coming from all over the world, as well as support in communication, educational activities, and the organisation of cultural programmes.

This commitment is one of the pillars of the event, which every two years transforms Stia into an international point of reference for the art of forging and which, over time, has helped give rise to a permanent cultural ecosystem, including the Iron Museum and STIA – School Training Iron & Arts.

Participation in the Volontari@Work Award confirms the value of volunteering as a driver of cultural and social growth for the Casentino area and as a fundamental element in the development and continuity of the Biennale.