Starting on 6th september 2009!
This tournament has its origins in the early 16 C and commemorates Christian efforts to hold back the tide of Islam in the 14 C. A lively and colourful procession of costumed participants is followed by the main event in which eight costumed knights charge towards a wooden representation of the Saracen, aiming to hit the Saracen’s shield with lances.
The Saracen is mounted on a swivel so that part of the task of the knight has to avoid being struck back. Each pair of knights represents one of Arezzo’s four rival districts and their supporters each occupy a side of the piazza. The winner receives a golden lance.
The Orchestra Giovanile Italiana (founded by Riccardo Muti in 1984 and direct by Nicola Paszkowski) performed last month at Florence’s Teatro Comunale as part of the Maggio Musicale Festival, with guest conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
The musicians (all between 18 and 27) received hearty bis! and bravi! For their performances of Smetana’s Hakon Jarl,, Stravinsky’s Le Baiser de la Fée and Dvorak’s Symphony N. 8 in G major op. 88
The Orchestra Giovanile consists mainly of Italian performers, although there are eight foreigners ( from Poland, Ecuador, Japan, Romania, Macedonia, Mexico and Russia).
The musicians know that in Italy they must accept ludicrously low pay, but even so they aspire to this joyously, expecting to supplement their earnings with teaching and solo performances, but above all to pursue a career they love.
Three of the musicians ( all 25 years old) discussed their ambitions over coffee before the concert.
Percussionist Dario Varuni, a Florentine of Neapolitan extraction, although attracted to the progressive cosmopolitan capital Berlin, said he could imagine no better life than performing in his adepte city. Already he has a busy career that includes teaching and performing in the past as far away as Paris, Heidelberg, and Milan.
Cellist Anna Stasevich, on the other hand, who comes from Caluga (200 km from Moscow), said she would be thrilled toh ave a permanent position with any major Italian orchestra.
Stasevich studied at the Conservatory of Caluga and completed her studies at the Moscow State Music Academy with Alla Vassilieva. What she likes about being in the OGI is being able to devote all her time to practing and performing Harpist Anna-Livia Walker (from Lucca), who has recently played for Live Music Now in the UK and at the Lisbon Opera House, says she would be very happy to continue working both in orchestras and as a soloist.
Sureley the world needs more of this kind of music, but sadly Noseda, conductor of Torino’s Teatro Regio, told the audience that the Giovanile (OGI), widely recognized as one of Europe’s most distinguished youth orchestras, has had its funds cut in half this year. Noseda, who rehearsed with the musicians in the period leading up to the concert without accepting any payment, said that “ our future dreams” represented by these young artists, are under threat.
The Palio di Siena (known locally simply as Il Palio) is a horse race held twice each year on July 2 and August 16 in Siena, Italy, in which ten horses and riders, dressed in the appropriate colours, represent ten of the seventeen Contrade, or city wards.
The seventeen Contrade are: Aquila (Eagle) Bruco (Caterpillar) Chiocciola (Snail) Civetta (Little Owl) Drago (Dragon) Giraffa (Giraffe) Istrice (Crested porcupine) Leocorno (Unicorn) Lupa (Female Wolf) Nicchio (Seashell) Oca (Goose) Onda (Wave) Pantera (Black Panther) Selva (Forest) Tartuca (Tortoise) Torre (Tower) Valdimontone (literally, “Valley of the Ram” – often shortened to Montone).
The race itself, in which the jockeys ride bareback, involves circling the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of dirt has been laid, three times and usually last no more than 90 seconds. It is not uncommon for a few of the jockeys to be thrown off their horses while making the treacherous turns in the piazza and indeed it is not unusual to see unmounted horses finishing the race without their jockeys.
A magnificent pageant, the Corteo Storico, precedes the race, which attracts visitors and spectators from around the world.
“Lucca insolita” is an iniziative by the local tourist board, a guided walking tour will leave Piazza San Michele every Sunday evening throughout august.
Grapevine went along to one of the july events to find out more.
Our route took us from Piazza San Michele, through Piazza Bernardini to Piazza San Martino and finally to the Orto Botanico. But as we entered Palazzo Bernardini, suddenly we were not alone, there stood the architect himself Nicolao Civitali in doublet and hose. More surprises follone “bad girl” Lucrezia Buonvisi in the beautiful setting of the convento f the Servi, and finally the ghost of Lucida Mansi (yes, yet another conveniently deceased husband) ceaselessly roamin the orto Botanico and gazing at her reflection in the little pool.
Lucca is wonderful by night, flaming torches, magical lighting effects, and kind temperature. We guarantee the tour, led by a knowledgeable guide, will reveal secrets of Lucca you won’t have known.
And the partecipation of members of the young Theatre Company of Lucca, responsible for bringing to life characters from the city’s history is a bonus.
The tour can be booked for a cost of euro 7,00 per person, at the tourist office in Piazzale Verdi. Each tour starts around 9.00 pm and lasts two tours, on every sunday evening throughout august. Up to 30 people can be accomodated in each group, with one group conducted in italian and the other in english.
The “Fiorita” is a decorative carpet created every year to furnish the Sanctuary at Colle di Compito in celebration of Corpus Domini in the Church calendar. This year, i twill remain in place throughout the month of July and until mid August.
As the name suggests, the carpet is mainly made of flowers, but also contains sawdust, seeds and other materials. The tradition of making the carpet had in fact been lost for many years until about eighteen years ago, when some young people in the village decided to revive it.
For their first “Fiorita” tthey used designs from previous festyivals, but as years have passed, their designs have grown more elaborate and original, reflecting much painstaking work.
Each year, it takes over a month to realise the “Fiorita” from the original design stage to finally putting the last flore in place.
The work is carried out by a dedicated team of all ages, from the elderly women who cut the flowers, down to the children who offer their moral support and at the same time themselves learn the techniques which although as simple as the tools used to execute them, require great care and expertise.
Every year, the choice of ever more elaborate designs and the continued search for improvement produces a final result that is even grander than the year before, and which more than repays all the effort involved.
For this reason, the people of Colle di Compito invite everyone who whishes to see “Fiorita” to make their way to the village at this time of the year and ask for the Chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione at Cima di Colle.
You can ask anyone in the village for directions. As the photographs hint, you will not be disappointed.
From the Via di Tiglio in Lucca, take the Strada Statale SS 439 out of Lucca, signposted towrds Pontedera. You will reach Colle di Compito in around 20 minutes by car, (13 kms from Lucca centre.)
