Saturday, 8 November (from 4.30 pm) at the Oratory of San Carlo, presentation of the book ‘Loca Franciscana’ and inauguration of the exhibition by Massimo Tosi.
A journey through the places in Tuscany where the memory of St. Francis is intimately linked to the historical and artistic heritage of the area. In Castelfiorentino, this memory has deep roots in the church that bears his name and in the Monastery of Santa Maria della Marca, where tradition has it that St. Francis visited in 1210.
This is the introduction to “Loca Franciscana”, a book published by the Institute for the Promotion of Historic Abbeys in Tuscany, which will be presented at the Oratory of San Carlo on Saturday 8 November (4.30 pm), followed by the inauguration of an exhibition of watercolour paintings curated by Massimo Tosi.
The evening, introduced by Franco Spina, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Castelfiorentino, will feature speeches by Roberto Ciofi (president of the association “Sveliamo la Marca”), Fausto Rossi (Institute for the Promotion of Historic Abbeys in Tuscany) and Sabina Spannocchi (president of the Valdelsa Historical Society).
The volume ‘Loca Franciscana’ – as ISVAST president Domenico Zafarana recalls in the preface – retraces places ‘steeped in history, faith and traditions, which have seen men and women, even in other times, gather to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi or some aspect of his current message’.
Each place and each structure is enriched by contributions from art historians and scholars who help us understand their origins, history and significance. All the locations are embellished with watercolour paintings by Massimo Tosi, which are on display in the exhibition, open until Saturday 15 November (4pm to 7pm).
Promoted by the “Sveliamo La Marca” Association, an association founded with the aim of raising awareness of the monastery that bears its name and to stimulate the search for funding for its restoration (currently underway), the evening is organised in collaboration with the Valdelsa Historical Society, the Tuscan Bibliographic Society and the lSVAST, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the Municipality of Castelfiorentino.
‘We are delighted,’ observes Franco Spina, Councillor for Culture, “to host this wonderful initiative, which also promotes two places of worship that are part of our historical and artistic heritage dedicated to St Francis, in memory of whom the 800th anniversary of his death will be celebrated next year. His message of peace is more relevant than ever in a world that has been deeply troubled in recent years by bloody conflicts. This event effectively inaugurates November as the “month of peace”, with important initiatives such as the “Romanello Cantini Peace Prize” on Sunday 16 November and the historical re-enactment of the Peace of Castelfiorentino after the Battle of Montaperti on Saturday 22 November.
