The opening celebrations for the Bagni di Lucca Art Festival

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

The first Bagni di Lucca Art Festival was officially opened with a party at Ponte a Serraglio. Several of the shops in the main street have been renovated and are now home to visiting artists.

On Saturday night the road was closed and there was a wonderful street party.

The artists exhibiting for the first weeks include…
Giuseppe del Debbio
Christian Gironda
Melissa Moore
Gianmarco Caselli
Jacolo da San Martino
Selby Hickey
David Finkbeiner
Michael Hanning

Thank you to my lovely friends Kerry and Moira for taking photos for us. I wish I had been there to join in the fun. I’m sure the next couple of months are going to be exciting in Ponte a Serraglio.

Congratulations to Jaqueline and her team for a successful opening to a very welcome event. For more information on the Art Festival please take a look at their website.www.artfestivalbagnidilucca.org

Celebrating summer

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

A summer celebration, Benvenuta Estate, was held in Fornoli yesterday. It was a gorgeous day in Piazza Aldo Moro. Lots of people came.

There were stalls selling arts and crafts.

There was food.

Children and parents got together to play wonderful old fashioned games.

Stories and music were provided by Luca Fabrizio and Pietrolino…it was great fun.

Later on there was dinner under the stars. I couldn’t stay for that, but I am sure it was every bit as good as the rest of the day…welcome summer.

Tug-of-war…Fornoli vs Chifenti

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

On Saturday afternoon there was to be a tug-of-war between the opposing teams of Fornoli and Chifenti. Fornoli is part of Bagni di Lucca and Chifenti belongs to Borgo a Mozzano. The towns sit on either side of the Ponte delle Catene…the chain bridge.

I arrived promptly at 4.00pm to find the rope positioned on the bridge.

There was a band.

There was a demonstration tug-of-war by a very good looking team.

It was good natured competition.

Did I mention that they were good looking? I found a special one for you.

The professionals tackled the locals.

The children tested their muscles.

The band marched across the bridge and back again.

There was one very interested spectator.

I would love to show you the actual competition, but I waited…and I waited. The event was supposed to begin at 4.00pm. I waited in the hot sun until 6.30pm and then I gave up and went home. I found out the next day that it went ahead at 7.30pm…late, even by Italian standards…what a pity.

Click here to see another fun event in Bagni di Lucca on the weekend…the crossbow competition in the grounds of Villa Ada.

Bagni di Lucca’s Art Festival

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Bagni di Lucca is set to host a brand new Art Festival this summer. In the sunny months of July, August and September Ponte a Seraglio will be filled with performance artists, painters, sculptors and photographers.

Meet part of the organizing team.

From the left…Jaqueline, Ira, our Sindaco Dottore Betti and Jake.

With the help of our Sindaco (mayor), our beautiful venues, such as the Teatro Accademico, the Casino, the Sala Parrocchiale and others will be filled with exciting performance artists. Click here to see more on the Casino and here for the Teatro Accademico.

As well as this, artists will be able to display their collections of art work in some of the unused shops in the main street of Ponte a Serraglio at no cost. One of the best aspects of this is that the local people are getting involved in the clean up and renovation of these lovely shops, some of which have been empty for decades.

It is absolutely wonderful to see people working together to make the village more beautiful and to provide a welcome space for the artists.

A particularly exciting part if the festival will be provided by the very talented (and charming) Ira Seidenstein. Ira has been involved in the theatre since 1973 as an actor, director, playwright and choreographer. He also has extensive experience in clown theatre. Among other things he has worked with the world renowned Cirque du Soleil as a performer and teacher.

It is in his capacity as a teacher that he will be involved in the Art Festival. Ira has conducted workshops in London, Paris, Auckland , Barcelona and is now on his way to Vienna and Malmo, Sweden to continue. He has also conducted workshops in Brisbane where he now lives. (it is indeed a small world, he lives just minutes from our house in West End)

Ira will be conducting a workshop the last week in August and the first week of September, with a performance to follow in conjunction with the Art Festival. He was in town recently to look at suitable venues, and was delighted with what Bagni di Lucca has to offer. How lucky we are that someone of his calibre is involved with our very first Art Festival.

Check out his website…you will be impressed. www.iraseid.com

Top marks to Jaqueline and Jake for getting the festival off the ground. Everybody is invited to take part in whatever way possible…as an artist, helper, renovator or perhaps, most importantly as a spectator.

Please look at the Art Festival’s website and be involved in this exciting event in Bagni di Lucca.

http://www.artfestivalbagnidilucca.org

A celebration of women

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

At the Casino in Ponte a Serraglio there is an art exhibition to celebrate women. As well as a chance to see the beautifully restored interior of this historic building, you can see and exhibition of painting, sculpture and photography.

A large crowd gathered for the opening event.

For me the most interesting part of the exhibition is a display of craft, beautiful pieces of handwork done mostly by women. Some of these talents are being lost in these busy times and it is wonderful to see such a lovingly collected items of sewing, weaving, spinning, embroidery and lace work.

I can imagine busy hands creating these things for families and friends in any spare moment. Many of these skills are being lost forever. Thank you Gemma Fazzi and her team for showing us this lovely collection.

The exhibition continues until Friday 15th March and is open in the evenings from 5pm until 8pm. On Friday evening there will be a fashion parade followed by refreshments.

Mini Carnevale in Fornoli

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Sunday was party day at Fornoli. The main street was closed to traffic and stalls selling all kinds of treats were set up early. The main event, however, began at about 2.30 near the Ponte delle Catene at Chifenti. This is where the crowds gathered to watch the start of the parade which was to cross the bridge and head into the town.

The mayor was there.

A man in a very nice green sash gave an enthusiastic speech.

Some people in very colourful costumes were there.

There was an excellent band.

One band member had eyelashes to match her shirt.

The band leader did a great job, and wore a particularly colourful scarf.

But mostly the day was about children. Local schools took part in a dress up competition and the children looked very splendid indeed.

Heroes and superheroes were well represented, so we all felt secure and protected.

The very young were included as well.

Not everyone was happy to be there.

But that was the exception. It was a fun afternoon with everyone getting into the spirit of the occasion…even when it began to rain.

Award night at Teatro Accademio

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Debra Kolkka

Teatro Accademio in Bagni di Lucca hosted a fun night recently. Awards were presented to the creators of the best Presepe and Mailart.

The lovely theatre was full.

The awards were presented by members of the Bagni di Lucca Proloco and Borgo degli Artisti.

Afterwards members of Croce Rossa performed Pinocchio.

Here are some of the wonderful Mailart entries.

At the end of the evening Befana came down on stage from above and went out into the square in front of the theatre to pose with the children for photos. The staff from Croce Rossa distributed stockings filled with goodies for the children.

Thank you to Morena Guarnaschelli for the photos and details of the evening.

I will be in Bagni di Lucca myself soon to take part in local activities…can’t wait.

Budding artists in Bagni di Lucca

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

On a wet weekend what could be better than gathering with friends to learn something about painting? Morena from Borgo degli Artisti offered her services over 2 afternoons to teach some local children at the studio in Ponte a Serraglio.

On the first day the children learned to mix colours, and about the colour spectrum.

On the second day the children learned about shading, and set about to paint a Christmas scene.

Some of the paintings will be framed and displayed in the gallery at Christmas time. I hope you will all come to Borgo degli Artisti at Ponte a Serraglio to see them.

Perhaps you can buy a painting before the artist becomes famous.

The chestnut festival at Ponte a Serraglio

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Debra Kolkka

The annual chestnut festival hosted by the Gruppo Alpini and the Borgo Artisti was held on Sunday in the lovely park beside Villa Fiori. It was a gorgeous autumn day and the chestnuts were roasting.

In times of famine and in the lean years after WWII chestnuts formed an important part of the local diet……they deserve to be celebrated.

As well as roasted chestnuts, necci (chestnut pancakes) were served with ricotta, sausage or nutella. The pancakes are cooked between 2 flat pans over a flame.