and into culture!

source http://www.italialiberty.it/mostraartdeco/

We find that in Forli there will be an interesting exhibition of art deco 'Anni Ruggenti' - the roaring years - there are links from that page to other things to see nearby.

This a city more noted (and less visited) for its rationalist architecture. Being the big town next to the small town (Forlimpopoli) where Mussolini's mum lived, substantial investments were made in the 1930s in modern urban design and technology including the flight school where Mussolini's son attended. A complex background. But a real ongoing interest in the modern.

Source http://www.simonesimone.it/forl%C3%AC-razionalismo/

This offers a glimpse of the architecture and commentary on rationalism.

And here is a whole list of places of interest in Forli. See also my earlier blog entry on Forli.

In Mantova, we arrive just as the winter chamber music season at the Teatro Sociale is ending. We have booked for the last night performance by the Mantova Chamber Orchestra, 1 April. Online booking easy, pick up tickets with ID and receipt at the box office... unlike booking for the opera house in Rome. The program was not of extreme interest and they offered only to post tickets to us for forty euros. No thank you.

The Mantova Teatro Sociale is a lovely sized theatre a 300 metre walk from our apartment.

source: http://www.teatrosocialemantova.it/

Here from youtube a nice little film from a performance in the theatre, pleasing to hear what they think of Mantova and audiences in this theatre.

----

In Rome, there seem to be a number of possible entertainments in the week before easter including Bach mass away over town from our apartment in the great Accademia di Santa Cecilia. 

We have opted for an event near our apartment, in the Great Hall (Aula Magna) of the University of Rome, a duo performance of violin and cello by two musicians, Brunello and Carmignola, whom I saw described somewhere as the Al Pacino and Robert de Niro of Italian music. They go on from Rome to perform together at a charity evening in Treviso, a rough googly translation about them and about that here. 

Violin and cello only, no orchestra, fascinating.  

For both Mantova and Rome, we booked using vivaticket as initially directed from the Teatro Sociale booking office person, Giulia, and that led us to Rome options.

In Rome, in Monti, we may well be able to follow the sound of music down the street. ... Of course we did that in Guanajuato two years ago to find our ancient front door refused to open again... a good case for ensuring you don't go out with absolutely nothing in pocket and with your basic travel info at a cloud location. We had the coins for an internet cafe, found the document with the manager's number, parked at google drive, we rang the manager, she got us a hotel room for the night and a locksmith in the morning... all was not lost.)

Here is an old photo of the Aula Magna, from the web. This is about 2km from our apartment. 

source http://www2.uniroma1.it/musa/images/index/07.jpg

and in the modern

Visitors to Italy have eyes for the most part for the old and very old.

This exhibition in Forli in 2013 on Italian art between the two world wars is worth watching and a valuable reminder that this country remains alive and creative, not just a string of museums.

This first little movie is also useful as a language lesson. Nice clear speech, if a little fast, and with some art-technical language that may be useful. Watch and re-watch, let your ear and the hearing parts of the brain absorb the sounds. Actually hearing a foreign language is step 1.

and this film on Forli provides some context to that one above

BUT
it presents, don't they all, a rather cutesy story of Italy past.
Caterina Sforza is mentioned as a ruler of Forli.
For the not-faint-hearted I offer this link to a rip-roaring account of Ms Sforza
from badassoftheweek.com
Let no one assume that the youngish women now mayors of Rome and Turin will be pushovers. :-)




Um, I'm diverting from the modern a bit but here's a picture and quote from the Badass
history of Caterina Sforza of Forli, link above


Gosh! Trump that! How modern.

FOR A LESS RACY ACCOUNT of Catherine Sforza, 
with more about Forli, click here

and for a feminist cheer for the Tigress of Love, go here.

Those stories tell of Caterina Sforza. Here's a clip from her
confronting the Borgias who threaten to kill her children if she does not surrender:
being a widow, her rights depend on having a male heir.
Of course for the TV series The Borgias they opt for the more lurid yarn that
she lifts her skirt and says look see, I can make more. Seen on TV, must be true.

French without subtitles.


---oooOooo---

Faenza, next town west, home of ceramics for a very long time, hosts the modern too. This is a translation from description of the next movie:

A "long weekend" in Faenza, one of the world capitals of majolica (the name of the city itself gave rise to the word "faiences"), to discovery the world of ceramics and ceramicists, through events, exhibitions, and cultural and spectacular activities:
ARGILLÀ: market-fair to be held on August 31st (afternoon) and September 1sth and 2nd along the streets of the Historic District of Faenza, with 200 exhibitors from ceramics capitals in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Nederland, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, as well as other European nations,Cultural and collateral events: the city, through its own structures (International Museum of Ceramics, Exhibition Hall, crafts and cultural associations, AICC, the State Institute of Art Gaetano Ballardini, I.S.I.A., etc.) will become a venue for an exciting programme of shows, exhibitions, and activities.Foto e editing di Saverio Pepe - Musica di Markus Legner