L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015 www.italoamericano.com 6 A new connection between Tuscany and the Bay Area promotes the beauty of Italian art and history in America From Tuscany to the United States, with some special events in San Francisco: the celebra- tions for the 950th anniversary since the first stone of the Pisa C a t h e d r a l w a s l a i d a n d t h e 450th anniversary of the birth of Galileo Galilei got just big. In fact, starting from this occur- rence, a cultural exchange is taking place between the town of Pisa, in Tuscany, and San Francisco, California, for the next few months. A calendar f u l l o f e v e n t s a i m i n g t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between the two regions, but also to promote the Italian his- tory and art in the American context. First, the Tower of Pisa, con- sidered one of the most iconic Italian monuments in the world, is now on the spotlight in San Francisco. On January 13, a full 8-foot replica of the Leaning tower has been unveiled at the Westfield Mall. The tower rep- r e s e n t s o n e o f t h e g r e a t e s t w o r k s m a d e b y a r t i s a n s i n Volterra, who use white and transparent alabaster stone as main material for their hand- c r a f t s . T h e d i s c o v e r y o f a l a b a s t e r w a s m a d e b y t h e Etruscans who settled in the area and, continuing until the 1 6 0 0 s , t h e p r o d u c t i o n w a s mainly characterized by the cre- ation of artworks with religious purposes. Only starting in the middle of the 17th century, the production of alabaster works turned into a commercial activi- ty: both high and lower quality objects were requested by pri- v a t e c u s t o m e r s w h o u s e d t o request mainly art copies, busts or vases. In such perspective, the Leaning Tower model turns into something very special and the exhibition will mainly be h i g h l i g h t i n g t h e i n c r e a s i n g importance of Italian local man- ufacturers and their works. T h e e x p e d i t i o n o f t h e Leaning Tower in California includes appointments, confer- e n c e s a n d t r a d e i n i t i a t i v e s involving journalists, tour oper- ators, buyers, importers, as well as potential future visitors such as students, researchers, and tourists who can taste a bit of Tuscany before flying out. The inauguration itself, which will go on until February 10, came a l o n g w i t h t h e s c r e e n i n g o f videos showcasing Tuscany and featured traditional products to the American audience. While the beauty of the Pisa Tower never stops attracting many people every year, the interest in understanding why the Tower is still standing has b e e n g r o w i n g o v e r t h e l a s t decades. The tower is considered a miracle of the medieval engi- neering: with its 207 columns, it was designed as a circular bell tower that would stand 185 feet high. The bottom consists of 15 marble arches and each of the n e x t s i x c i r c l e s c o n t a i n s 3 0 arches that surround the tower. The spiral staircase inside the tower leading to the top is made of 297 steps and it is also slight- ly curved, from the attempts to keep the tower from leaning more or falling over. This and more will be discusses during a formal talk about the restoration of the original Leaning Tower: UC Berkeley and the Italian C u l t u r a l I n s t i t u t e o f S a n Francisco will be hosting some d i s c u s s i o n s b y P r o f e s s o r M i c h e l e J a m i o l k o w s k i a n d Professor Carlo Viggiani, inter- ested in explaining the recent efforts and feats of engineering to stabilize the tower. Finally, another important SERENA PERFETTO e l e m e n t o f t h e e x c h a n g e i s r e p r e s e n t e d b y " t h e P i s a n R o m a n e s q u e M e e t s Contemporary America" con- test. By involving high school students, the project will try to teach students in the cities of San Francisco and New York t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e P i s a n Romanesque period and pro- mote the appreciation of this p a r t o f I t a l i a n h i s t o r y . T h e Romanesque style developed in a moment of economic recov- e r y a n d , a s t h e p r o s p e r i t y helped the European architec- tural and artistic renewal, it gave a great contribution in the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f c h u r c h e s , municipal buildings, and pri- vate residences in the new style. What the project aims at is to not only to foster interest in the cultural heritage of Tuscany and Pisa, but also to stimulate the interest of young people in the subject. Imagination, obser- vation, and creativity will be important parts of the work, a l o n g w i t h t h e s t u d y o f t h e Italian history and architecture. In this sense, submissions can t a k e t h e f o r m o f a d r a w i n g , photograph, work of graphic art, or short video film. Finally in May, a panel of judges will b e c h o s e n b y t h e S o c i e t à S t o r i c a P i s a n a i n c l u d i n g a n expert on modern art and pho- tography and one on the history of medieval art and architecture in Pisa. Plus, some representa- t i v e f r o m A m e r i c a n I t a l i a n institutions as well as an expert on American culture with a spe- cial knowledge of the Tuscan art and history will be involved. For all information about the events held at UC Berkeley and a t t h e I t a l i a n I n s t i t u t e o f C u l t u r e , v i s i t t h e w e b s i t e http://www.pisatowerinsanfran- cisco.com. If you want to know m o r e a b o u t t h e c o n t e s t f o r schools, which will close in M a r c h , v i s i t t h e w e b s i t e http://www.pisanromanesque- meets.it containing all informa- tion on how to submit the pro- jects as well as guidelines and instructions in order to not miss the deadline. Volterra's artisans working the alabaster stone Jan. 16, Fri. - Film "The Human Capital" Opens in San Francisco. A film by Paolo Virzì Italy's Official Selection for the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film. Landmark O per a P laza in S an F r ancis co; Camer a 3 in S an J o s e; Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael. Info at http://humancapitalfilm.com/theatres Jan. 22, Thurs. - The Leaning Tower of Pisa How is it still stan- ding? Have you ever wondered why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is still standing? Join us at the IIC on January 22, 2015 for an engaging and enlightening lecture by the two leading experts of the Tower's restoration project. Info: (415) 788-7142 or Email: contact.sanfrancisco@esteri.it Feb. 3, Tues. - Italian Community Services and Business Association Italy America (ICS/BAIA) event at Club Fugazi, home of the Beach Blanket Babylon, 678 Green Street, San Francisco. Info at agency@italiancs.com or tel. (415) 362-3565 Feb. 8, Sun. - Le Donne D'Italia Bubbly & Bingo. Join San Francisco's Italian Womens' Club for lunch and a afternoon filled with fun, and Bubbly and Bingo with cash prizes, at the Italian Athletic Club. For more details and tickets contacts Antonette 415-509-4810 or email sagit19@aol.com Through Apr. 19, 2015- Primo Angeli: A Retrospective. The Museo Italo Americano will exhibit the works of San Francisco design legend, Primo Angeli. Info: Phone: (415) 673-2200 , E- mail: sfmuseo@sbcglobal.net Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Building C The model of the Leaning Tower exposed at the Wesfield Mall and the Volterra's artisans The Cathedral in Pisa is now 950 years old and stands in front of the Leaning Tower

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