The Italian artist Giuliano Tomaino took inspiration from Italo Calvino’s novel and called his exhibition “Il cavaliere inesistente” (“The Nonexistent Knight “).

The personal exhibition of this artist will take place in Pietrasanta (province of Lucca, Tuscany) at Complesso di S. Agostino until 12th February 2012.

Like in Calvino’s novel, the exhibition is set in the medieval stronghold in Pietrasanta: the village, the castle, the church, the battle field and the monastery. And just like Calvino, Tomaino shares the idea of the artist as a person who is bound to the market rules, the powers and politics authorities, which are more important than works and the artist himself.

Along the walls of the city, you’ll find many “cimbelli”, eleven bright sculptures indicating pilgrims their way toward the city.

Sculture in città (Sculptures in the city) was born from the architect Mario Botta’s idea. They’re all red-colored artworks that talk to each other from a corner to another of the city: rocking horses, hands and feet, human figures which are the protagonists of a fantastic tale.

Giuliano Tomaino was born in La Spezia in 1945 and currently lives and works in Sarzana (a beautiful town near La Spezia, in Liguria). He began his career in the late 1960’s with Arte Povera, assemblages of objets trouvés.

The theme of cimbello (bird call) was born in the 90’s, suggested by some swallows getting in his studio. He began to exhibit his artworks in great galleries such as Heinz galleries in Zurich, Mc Cann in Frankfurt, Tornabuoni in Florence, Susanna Orlando in Forte dei Marmi, Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara, etc.

Giuliano Tomaino’s works will wait for you in Pietrasanta (Lucca) until 12th February 2012.

Free admittance

Opening hours: 4 to 7 pm

For further information about Pietrasanta please have a look at the travel guide About Versilia.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, adults and children, are you ready? Carnival time has come and Viareggio is ready to party with you as usual.

As widely known, Viareggio Carnival is the most popular and entertaining Italian carnival in Europe, rich in masks, coloured dances and parades, floats and district night celebrations that every year get more and more irreverent.

Once again, this year the carnival will begin

If you want to spend a magic, and unforgettable new year’s eve, at the sound of music, surrounded by magnificent buildings rich of culture Italy is the place to be!
This year 2011, Italy doesn’t miss the change to surprise us another time with events suitable for every age and for every kind of wallet!

Starting from Turin the capital of Piedomont , in Piazza San Carlo from 22:30 to 01:30 , you will have the chance to partecipate to a free concert full of culture and risorgimental spirit.. Renzo Arbore one of the most famous italian musicians, with the help of his orchestra,will make us dream of the past with his music rich of memory and tradition.

On the other hand, Milan with its charming Castello Sforzesco, will be the setting of a celtic celebration. Internationl groups such as the Irish Kila and the Scots Wolfstone, will project us into the world of the scottish Highlands, with its nostalgic but at the same time, full of life ballads.

This year spend your Christmas in Tuscany. You’ll find many events, concerts, initiatives for adults and children, Christmas markets and special festivals in all the cities and villages of the region.

Multicoloured, decorated, enlightened cities. Thousands lights warming city streets, shops windows and children hearts. Shopping, gifts, cards to Santa, Christmas songs and huge Christmas trees located in the largest squares of the cities, such as in Piazza della Repubblica in Florence.

As usual, Florence will welcome you with many amazing Christmas events and traditional handicraft markets. Don’t miss the fabulous Weihnachtsmarkt, the German Christmas market,

Tuscany Feast, the yearly event celebrated on 30th November, has been instituted through a regional law in 2000, in order to remember one of the main conquest of mankind in the field of human rights: the abolition of death penalty.

It was the Grand Duke of Tuscany who first abolished death penalty on 30th November 1786 wit Leopold’s reform. He also abolished torture and limbs mutilation, defining such practices barbaric acts.

This initiative made Tuscany the first country in the world to

From 28th October to 1st November 2011, the Lucca Comics & Games 2011 will be held in the Tuscan city of Lucca, the international fair of comics.

This year the edition will welcome guests like David Llyoid, Manuele Fior, Davide Reviati and the Japanese Jiro Taniguchi.

Scott Farrar wil be the special guest of this edition, one of the greatest artist and special effects maker (in his career he took part in 40 Holliwood films,

From Friday 9th to Sunday 11th September 2011, the 6th edition of “Con-Vivere”, the festival of philosophy, comes back in Carrara with the main theme “Bianco, rosso e verde” (the colours of Italian flag: “White, Red and Green”). This because the whole event will focus on the Italian Unity, analyzed from every side by many journalists, historians, economists.

This year, the festival will have as usual a rich program: it schedules 14 meetings, 4 concerts, 2 painting exhibitions, besides many book shops and restaurants open and beautiful squares crowded by people.

The Italian band “Elio e le storie tese”

The 32nd edition of Versiliana Festival has just begun for a month but will keep on entertaining spectators until 31st August 2011.

Versiliana Festival, the most important event of Versilia’s cultural summer, keeps on presenting its magical theater performances, ballets, concerts and the shows of the best Italian comedians in the city of Pietrasanta placed on the Versilia Coast (Tuscany).

The next appointment at the great open-air theater of Parco della Versiliana will be with the performance “I Masnadieri” going on stage on 29th and 30th July 2011.

On 31st July, the Italian comedian

The most awaited summer event in Versilia is coming back: the 57th Puccini Festival will take place from 22nd July to 27th August 2011 at the Great Open-air Theatre dedicated to Giacomo Puccini in Torre del Lago.

Since 1930, the Puccini festival has become a more and more famous event gathering thousands spectators from all over the world. Its 2011 Playbill schedules two new stagings: La Bohème and Madama Butterfly coproduced with the Japanese NPO, besides Turandot.

Torre del Lago, home of the Puccini Festival, lies between the Lake of Massaciuccoli and the Tyrrhenian Sea, 4 km far from the magnificent beaches of Viareggio on the Tuscan Riviera, 18 km from Lucca and Pisa. The Festival welcomes about 40.000 spectators

The countdown for the most expected events in Tuscany has just begun: from 1st to 24th July in Lucca will be held the Lucca Summer Festival 2011, a series of live concerts introducing famous international and Italian musicians and singers.

Actually the opening of such an event had to begin with the American band Blink 182 but they cancelled their world tour for lack of new material and postponed it to next year. By the way, we will not miss them because there will be such international artists like Elton John, Ben Harper, Arcade Fire, B.B. King, Joe Cocker and