Castelbasso celebrates art, food and history

Castelbasso is an ancient burgh surrounded by walls, a church in the middle and a tower at its top. A typical Italian medieval town that gives the impression of being almost abandoned, as so many other do in central Abruzzo. A result of intensive emigration in the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th.

But today, with the great efforts of the Associazione Amici di Castelbasso, the burgh has become the symbol of the revival of those small corners of Italy that are being recognised as uniquely irreplaceable.

Catelbassso once again (2006 is the 10th year) is the setting of a cultural event combining art, litterature, performances and food and wine connoisseurship in its alleys and streets.

This year the main exhibition for the Visual Art section is “Mario Schifano. Il colore e la luce,” curated by Silvia Pegoraro. The theme being explored is “The Mediterraneo” and Mario Schifano – born in Libia and brought up fully steeped in archeology and the old Mediterranean cultures – gives an original expression of those origins. He is also one of the best Italian artists of the last century. Recently, in Vienna, a painting from Schifano dated 1965 had been sold by the auction for 360,000 euros. The Castelbasoo exhibition shows artworks from the Sixties until the artist’s death (1998) and underlines the light and colour quality of his paintings with the Mediterranean nature of his art.

Furthermore, for the Visual Art section, the curator Chiara Materazzi, had organised a contemporary art project as homage to the history and the memory of the medieval villain. Nine artists have been chosen to work with the nature, social conditions, land and history of Castelbasso, making installations along the streets and the old places of the village.

The literature section, curated by Renato Minore, has as main theme “The Time” and will host Alda Merini and Edoardo Sanguineti. Is there any time in poetry? Two important poetry readings about the Time and its connection with poetry using two basic issues: “Anima e Corpo” (“Soul and Body”) and “Luce e Ombra” (“Light and Shade”).

As usual the “Associazione Amici di Castelbasso” will curate the Spectacles section and this year we will see singers and actors as famous as M. Paolini, N. Fabi, C. Spaak, S. Bollani, C. Guzzanti and Sud Sound Sistem.

The food and wine connoisseurship section, curated by M. Di Cintio, will bring spectators through “flavours and knowledges”, passing through the Italian olive oil, the traditional home made pasta, the magic chocolate, and more. Thanks to the oral traditional secrets, it will be possible also to taste the “tacchino alla canzanese”, a typical local food.

The festival had been organised by the “Associazione Amici di Castelbasso” and its President Osvaldo Menegaz and will take place between July 16th and August 27th.