Taking place from Feb. 15 to May 13 are the initiatives of the "Sol chi cammina è degno di arrivare" (Only He Who Walks is Worthy to Arrive) review, which the City of Figline and Incisa Valdarno has decided to dedicate to Figline intellectual Vittorio Locchi in the year marking the 100th anniversary of his death. This is a total of seven events, organized in collaboration with the Figline Philatelic Numismatic Circle, the Arno Photographic Circle, the MCL "Fanin" Circle and with the support of Adelmo Brogi, Giacomo Beni and Lando Locchi, who have made available material from their private collections.
It starts at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, the anniversary of the writer and poet's death, dated 1917. For the occasion, the Sarri Hall of Figline's Palazzo Pretorio (Piazza San Francesco) will host a ceremony with an Italian Postal Service philatelic cancellation, followed by a biographical account of Locchi by Bruno Bonatti. Mayor Giulia Mugnai and Culture Councillor Mattia Chiosi will be present.
On Saturday, Feb. 18, however, the appointment is in the Misericordia hall (Piazza San Francesco) where, the 14th edition of the Philatelic Numismatic Convention will be held, organized by the Circolo Filatelico Numismatico Figlinese. During the day, therefore, not only vintage stamps and coins will be on display, but also postcards and publications, with special emphasis on materials depicting Vittorio Locchi.
On Friday, Feb. 24, in collaboration with the Fanin Circle, we will instead return to the Palazzo Pretorio where, at 10 a.m., a number of classes from local high schools will participate in a meeting entitled "The Singer and his time" (free admission). In detail, Sergio Sammicheli will illustrate the epochal significance of the Great War, while Bruno Bonatti, in collaboration with Circolo Mcl "Fanin," will talk about the figure of Locchi as a soldier poet.
Instead, it is set for Sunday, March 12, at 5:30 p.m., theopening of the exhibition entitled "Vittorio Locchi. The Time, Work and History of a Young Intellectual," which will remain on display with photographs, objects and autograph manuscripts at Palazzo Pretorio until April 25 (opening hours: Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.; Saturday Sunday and holidays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m.). Again, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be attended by Mayor Giulia Mugnai and Culture Councillor Mattia Chiosi.
On Friday, March 24, we will move instead to the Ariano Hall (Via Magherini Graziani 3, Figline) of the Circolo "Fanin," where an afternoon dedicated to Locchi as a lyric poet is scheduled. It is there, in fact, that Giovanni Papini will give a talk entitled "Bitter Rice," from "The Sonnets of Melancholy" and "The Testament," while Annalisa Gennai Ariano will curate an analysis of "Serene Elegies." In addition, while readings will be given by Paolo Butti and Carla Battistini, music will be performed by the Academy of Good Talent.
It will also be an afternoon of readings and music by the Circolo Fanin on April 28 when, at 5:30 p.m., Bruno Bonatti will be at the Ridotto of the Garibaldi Theater (Piazza Serristori, Figline) for a talk entitled "The Feast of Saint Gorizia," with period music and songs by the Circolo Fanin and the Garibaldi Theater Choir, respectively.
The celebrations will close on Saturday, May 13, at 5:30 p.m., with the performance "The Salt of Controversy," which will be held in the courtyard adjacent to the Ponterosso Church. It is a stage play presented by Bruno Bonatti and focused, precisely, on the polemical writings that the young Locchi exchanged with the Curé of Ponterosso. Bringing it to the stage, however, will be the Vasari in/e company.
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