Dear comics-addicts, make sure you are free on 13th, 14th and 15th April because there will be great surprises in Turin, Italy!

“Torino Comics” – Comics, games and cosplays – is coming back to Turin at Pavilion 3 of Lingotto Fiere with a programme full of events, meetings with special guests, initiatives and games open to everyone. Special guest of this edition will be Terry Moore, the author of the series Strangers in Paradise, Echo and Rachel Rising.

Other important Italian authors who will be present this year are: Paolo Barbieri, Gabriele dell’Otto, Bepi Vigna,

Two Israeli contemporary artists, Maya Attoun and Hilla Ben Ari, present their artworks at the Marie-Laure Fleisch gallery in Rome until 25th February 2012.

Their works are exhibited for the first time in Italy by the gallery in an exhibition entitled “Falling in Line”, the first of a cycle of four exhibitions scheduled in a year (December 2011 – December 2012).

Such a project, called About Paper. Israeli Contemporary Art, has been

The renowned exhibition market of modern and contemporary art is going to come back in Genoa, Italy from 24th to 27th February 2012.

As usual, the event will be hold at the exhibition centre placed in Piazzale Kennedy in the city of Genoa (Region of Liguria).

At ArteGenova2012, visitors will enjoy

From 14th to 18th February 2012, the popular Sanremo Festival comes back on Italian TV screens.

This is the 62nd Festival of Italian Song and the show will be hosted by the Italian singer Gianni Morandi, the actor Rocco Papaleo and Ivana Mrazova, together with two comedians Luca and Paolo.

The festival schedules:

- a competition among 14 artists with new songs;

- a competition where the 14 artists, together with international guest singers, will sing famous Italian songs known all over the world in different international versions, during the night called “Viva l’Italia!”;

- the final stage of the competition “Sanremosocial” among 8 young artists presenting their original songs.

The artists in competitions are Arisa, Chiara Civello, Dolcenera, Emma Marrone, Nina Zilli, Eugenio Finardi, Francesco Renga, Gigi D’Alessio and Loredana Berté, Irene Fornaciari, Marlene Kuntz, Matia Bazar, Noemi, Pierdavide Carone and Lucio Dalla, Samuele Bersani.

As for the special guests of this edition, on 2nd night there will be Belen Rodriguez and Elisabetta Canalis, and the two comedians Francesco Mandelli and Fabrizio Biggio.

On 3rd night, entitled “Viva l’italia nel mondo” the festival will host the great swimming champion Federica Pellegrini.

The fourth night will host the dancer Simona Azzorri who will perform a dance on the notes of the English-German violinist David Garret and the choreography by Daniel Arzelow. In addition, Sabrina Ferrilli and Alessando Siani.

On the final night, there will also be the Canadian band The Cranberries with the amazing voice of Dolores O’Riordan.

If you’ve never visited Sanremo in Liguria Region, then take a look at the online guide About Liguria.

Book now your hotel in Sanremo with About Liguria.

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.

A special exhibition is still taking place in Venice, from last 1st October 2011 until 22nd January 2012. An exhibition in which history, adventure, science, trade, historical events and great artworks interweave.

As well as Cleopatra seduced Caesar and later Mark Antony, the charming Egypt was able to seduce Rome and later, in the course of time, the whole West.

The exhibition, taking place in the wonderful Sala dello Scrutinio at Palazzo Ducale in Venice – symbol of the city – shows with many findings the relationships between Venice and Egypt during almost 2 thousand years (from the classic age until the opening of Suez canal, an initiative proposed by the government

Obviously, it’s Leonardo da Vinci we are talking about. The universal Italian genius and great myth. His world-famous Self portrait will be put on display for the first time ever in the halls of Scuderie Juvarriane at Reggia di Venaria (province of Turin).

Such a great exhibition will be held from November 18th 2011 to January 29th 2012 and will offer visitors the chance to marvel at this great genius together with the artworks of those artists

From last March, 4th, two exhibitions have been being underway at Galleria d’Arte Moderna and Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti in Genoa (Region of Liguria) joined by the same theme: the Italian Unity, from Risorgimento to the New Century.

Such exhibitions show to the visitors some sections about Italy and the Savoy family, the great examples of the past used for educating and teaching history with painting, about Italian lifestyle between traditions and progress, conditions of childhood and Italy at work.

At the Museum of Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti there will be a space dedicated to the revolution of the en plein air painting with the great season of the Scuola dei Grigi

From last March, 17th – a very important date for Italy – at Reggia di Venaria (province of Turin) it is possible to marvel at sculptural and artistic treasures gathered for the exhibition La bella Italia. Arte e identità delle città capitali (The beautiful Italy. Art and identity of Italian capital Cities).

Until September, 11th 2011, the greatest masters of Italian art with over 350 works which go form antiquity to the Italian Unity will be put on display in the wonderful scenarios of Citroniera and Scuderia Grande of Filippo Juvarra of the Reggia di Venaria.

The organization of such an exhibition was made by Luca Ronconi, Margherita Palli e Valentina Dellavia and with A.J. Weissbard (Lighting Design), in collaboration with Massimo Venegoni (Studio Dedalo).

An itinerary of 350 works coming from museums of Italy, all over the world and private collections, which goes from antiquity until 1861 – the year of Italian Unity – passing through the main “cultural capitals” before Unity: Turin, Florence, Rome, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Parma, Modena, Naples and Palermo.

So, different traditions and cultures confront each other together with those artists who in the past represented them through their talent and natural genius: Giotto, Beato Angelico, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Correggio, Bronzino, Tiziano, Veronese, Rubens, Tiepolo, Canova, Hayez, Parmigianino, Velazquez, Bernini and many others.

The exhibition portrays the various “Italies” that were called upon by history to turn into one. Italy is a country of “differences” and this must be seen as a further resource, an energy which join people.

Therefore, each capital has been represented by art works, documents and objects which are emblems able to tell and retrace the history of such different realities.

SECTIONS

The section dedicated to Rome presents about 50 works portraying the myths of archaic Rome, symbolized in the famous painting by Rubens “Romulus and Remus” and , to the protagonists of classical Rome with the portraits and the busts of Emperors and the reliefs of Trajan’s Column. In addition, works by Bernini and Antonio Canova.

Florence is the emblem of Italian language of Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, it is the collections of the Medici family, the enlightened court of Lorenzo the Magnificent, it is the cradle of Renaissance with Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Donatello, the new astronomic science of Galileo and much more…Just come and see with your eyes!

The section devoted to Turin hosts works showing the long historic happenings of the dynasty of Savoy, religion, policy and the image of power, great printing projects and collections, and majestic architecture that celebrated, with Juvarra’s genius, the passage from Dukedom to Kingdom in 1713. The last canvasses are by Bossoli and Tetar van Elven and portray Turin as the protagonist of Renaissance.

Genoa, beautiful and rich city, retraces its golden age as the financial and artistic capital through about 30 works, among which we find canvasses by Rubens, Strozzi, Van Dyck and Veronese.

Artistic testimony of the various cultures of Palermo, between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era, with reference to the studies carried out during the Risorgimento by the local historian Michele Amari and with precious local artifacts and imported Islamic items, and the 19th century painting by Giacomo Conti depicting the court of Frederick II. The section ends on the theme of the Sicilian Vespers in a painting by Michele Rapisardi.

Naples, in the vivid images of the common people in the works by Cerquozzi, Giordano, Traversi, and Miola.

Bologna, the second seat of the Papal State, presents here the remarkable painting tradition of the Courts along the Po river in the works by Correggio and Dossi, together with works by Guercino, Fontana, Bagnocavallo, Ludovico e Annibale Carracci.

From the area of the Emilia region, a specific section of the exhibition focuses on important works of art that exemplify the prestigious collections of the ancient duchies of Parma and Modena.

Milan, its great role in history and a widely recognized artistic, political, and economic center. Here we find an important selection of works illustrating the main events in Lombard history, highlighting its two-fold vocation as a center for intellectual as well as entrepreneurial fervor: Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante; in addition, the world-famous famous Kiss by Francesco Hayez, symbol of the heroism of the Five Days that marked the start of the Risorgimento.

Finally, Venice is presented through the mirror image of its myth, celebrated in art across the centuries. The section represents the icons of the Republic, with portraits by Titian and the Lion of Saint Mark by Carpaccio, alternate with famous views of the city by Canaletto and nostalgic paintings by Guardi, and re-emerge in the hues of Tiepolo and the sculptures by Canova.

You can’t miss such a great exhibition, you have time until September, 11th 2011. Reggia di Venaria waits for you near Turin!

Further information about events in Turin are available on the guide About Turin.

After the great May Day concert, beatification of Pope John Paul II, Rome continues with its several events that have as setting a beautiful and universal city renowned all over the world.

Until June, 5th 2011, the 5th edition of “Contemporanea, Art, visual, music, performance” comes back at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome.

Contemporanea reaffirms itself as the yearly Italian exhibition in which the spotlight is only on the brand-new music and the international, contemporary art, visual and performance scenarios.

Also this year, the great event will welcome its larger and larger audience