a project takes shape that goes beyond the more usual imagery linked to Pinocchio who for decades has dialogued with the figure of the puppet succeeds in transposing its vitality and emotional tension into multiple languages: painting On display are seventy-five works from the Venturino Venturi Archive the BCC Banca Valdarno collection and important private collections One section of particular note is devoted to the thirty temperas created in 1986 designed for a special edition of The Adventures of Pinocchio Never exhibited to the public except during the presentation of the volume these works remain unique in their expressive power and chromatic density Beginning with fourteen oil imprints made between 1963 and 1968 the Venturinian sign becomes living matter evoking bodies and memories through a form that seems to hold time Each work is an attempt to capture the invisible returning images that are striking in their emotional intensity Among the most fascinating nuclei of the exhibition are six wooden matrices made in 1948 Carved to be used in the production of monotypes they reveal a dual nature: on the one hand they preserve the technical origin of their use and on the other they are transformed into autonomous objects Figures poised between geometry and narrative capable of attracting the eye with their formal ambiguities who saw in Venturino one of the few artists able to combine conceptual depth and plastic sense The relationship between Venturino and Pinocchio is also marked by an emblematic event: the 1953 competition for the Pinocchio Monument The statue planned to dominate Mosaic Square was never built whose concrete version is preserved in the Vatican Museums kept by the Carlo Collodi National Foundation marks the first conception of the monument that was never built Valuable evidence of an artistic dream that remained unfulfilled Completing this exhibition segment is a third sculpture created by Venturino as a tribute to the famous architect with whom he shared a design and poetic vision born precisely around the Collodi undertaking Michelucci was in fact a member of the jury of the competition and later collaborated on the design of Pinocchio Park A surprising section of the exhibition is dedicated to the eighteen painted papier-mâché masks the result of research carried out by Venturino to investigate the themes of identity and metamorphosis bringing to the surface the continuous tension that runs through the artist’s entire oeuvre They are faces that seem to hold their voices Closing the exhibition is the animated short film Turchino by Alice Rovai an original work that reworks Venturini’s universe in a contemporary key matter: the film restores the vitality of the line and matter dear to Venturino ferrying his poetics into the language of the present there is also a video-documentary Dimmi Venturino to return the living voice of an artist who has always been able to put himself on the line will be published by Edizioni Fondazione POMA Liberatutti within the PomArte series The exhibition can be visited Wednesday through Sunday Admission is free and no membership is required Among the most singular and significant personalities of twentieth-century Italian art Venturino Venturi marked his era with constantly evolving research he completed his training between France and Italy traversing some of the most delicate historical passages of the last century with a spirit always aimed at experimentation suspended between abstraction and figuration attracted the attention of critics and colleagues so much so that Lucio Fontana wanted him among the signatories of the Manifesto of Spatialism was intertwined with the symbolic figure of Pinocchio The puppet created by Collodi became for Venturino an expressive alter ego an ideal companion with whom to confront great themes such as freedom A pivotal stage in this artistic association took place in the 1950s with Venturi’s participation in the competition to create a monument to Pinocchio in Collodi Park which included a large statue in the center of the square he designed and decorated with a vast mosaic surface became for the artist an impetus to continue with renewed momentum Pinocchio thus became a persistent symbol of his poetics drawings and works that mark a long creative season where he established the monographic museum that still bears his name and serves as a hub for the study of Italian art of the second half of the 20th century The "Uffizi Diffusi" project brings the work back to the church where it has been for 150 yearsRaphael The Madonna of the Canopy on display in Pescia's Cathedral painted by Raphael at the end of his Florentine period and part of the Palatine Gallery's collection is now on view in the Tuscan town of Pescia in the church that had housed it for more than 150 years between the 16th and 17th centuries.The work is on display until 1 October in the Turini Chapel of the cathedral of Pescia in comparison with its copy that was commissioned to the Florentine painter Pier Dandini at the end of the 17th century; the original indeed was bought by Grand Prince Ferdinando de' Medici  to be set in the Grand Dukes' abode of Pitti Palace The important exhibition is the result of a special project implemented as part of the 'Uffizi Diffusi' programme; Fondazione Caript supports the ambitious operation.Before this event the artwork was subjected to a light consolidation in the highest portion of the wooden support and to accurate diagnostic investigations by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence The specialists' response established that the work is fine and can be moved to Pescia and displayed in the church without any problems La Madonna del BaldacchinoRitorno in Cattedrale maximum 20 people will be allowed in every 20 minutes.Reservation recommended www.madonnadelbaldacchino.it Starting with the underdogs is the Pescia, which for a certain period even gave the impression of being able to compete on equal terms with Piazza, who then won the group. Coach Martini's men finished in third place in the standings with 59 points, winning eighteen of the thirty games played. They scored 54 goals (led by the bomber Hamid Echegdali) and conceded 23, thus highlighting the least beaten defense of the tournament after that of Piazza al Serchio, champion. However, the performance of the Church, fourth with 53 points: after a year of purgatory, Salvadori's boys returned to the Second Division as a competitive team, winning 50% of the matches played in the championship and drawing eight (43 goals scored and 26 conceded). Pescia is also the favorite for the playoff rules: by virtue of their better position in the standings, they will play at home on April 27 and have two results out of three to advance to the next round, as in the event of a persistent tie, the regular season standings will be taken into account. At stake is a place in the final against Ghivizzano, which will designate the winner of the playoffs ready to play for the category jump with the winners of the playoffs of the other groups. Rain ending this evening then becoming foggy The Stumble Inn Bar & Grill in Londonderry is facing a lawsuit after a woman claims she fell while trying to enter the building “The entrance to the business was not of sufficient size to allow the plaintiff to enter and the two men to exit at the same time,” says the suit which was filed in Rockingham County Superior Court BRENTWOOD — A customer is suing Stumble Inn Bar & Grill in Londonderry claiming she lost her balance and fell through a narrow entrance while trying to pass by two men who were allegedly drunk and brawling Brittany Pescia of Londonderry filed her suit last week against 20 Rock LLC which does business as Stumble Inn Bar & Grill which owns the property at 20 Rockingham Road and attempted to walk through the front entrance while two men were trying to leave Pescia claims the two men were having a disagreement that included a physical fight “Due to the fact that the entrance was of insufficient size to allow the plaintiff to enter and the defendants to exit Pescia was caused to be pushed and/or to become unbalanced The suit claims Pescia suffered a cerebral concussion post-concussion syndrome and a spinal injury She alleges that the bar failed to warn customers of the “hazardous condition” with visual cues that it failed to construct a ramp and/or handrails in the area where she was hurt and that it violated building and safety codes and standards which had a message on its sign Monday saying “Soup of the day is whiskey,” was negligent for allegedly serving alcohol to a “person or persons who were intoxicated and/or showed signs of intoxication normally associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverage.” seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages The bar has not yet filed a response to the suit A worker who answered the phone at the bar said no one was available to comment Monday afternoon RockinghamNews@unionleader.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Would you like to receive our daily news? Signup today Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Join us for a stimulating experience: you’ll find a world of learning and development opportunities where inventiveness is at the heart of what we do the European leader and the world’s third largest producer of glass packaging for beverages and food products a customized solution allowing to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption The Group is thus mobilizing its innovation capabilities and its know-how to accompany the conversion of Verallia’s plant in Pescia from a traditional combustion process to an optimized oxycombustion on the occasion of the construction of a new furnace on the site.  The solution provided by Air Liquide combines the supply of oxygen and the reuse of the heat available from the glass production process the Group will build and operate for Verallia a new generation onsite oxygen production unit in Pescia The oxygen produced by this unit will replace the air usually injected into the furnace thereby allowing to melt the glass by oxycombustion and to improve the efficiency of the process Air Liquide will supply its HeatOxTM proprietary technology to recover the heat emitted by the glass furnace in order to further reduce the amount of energy needed to produce glass The global solution provided by Air Liquide will very significantly contribute to the reduction by 18% of the CO2 emissions (scope 1 and 2) that Verallia targets for its glass furnace in Pescia the new generation onsite oxygen production unit to be built and operated by Air Liquide will be equipped with a unique cryogenic process and will be 10% more energy efficient than the previous generation Producing oxygen onsite also avoids its transport in liquid form by trucks Vice President and Executive Committee Member of the Air Liquide Group supervising notably the Industrial Merchant business line This partnership will allow Verallia to reduce both the energy consumption and environmental footprint of its glass production in Pescia Leveraging our deep knowledge of our clients’ production processes it illustrates our ability to combine several innovations so as to develop tailor-made solutions with them This collaboration is in line with our ADVANCE strategic plan which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while supporting our customers in their decarbonization process Air Liquide’s Industrial Merchant Business Line delivers industrial gases and innovative solutions From independent professionals to large industrial companies our 33 000 employees serve over 2 million customers daily across about 60 countries technologies and services for industry and healthcare Present in 60 countries with approximately 66,500 employees the Group serves more than 4 million customers and patients While digging through the State Archive of Florence Renaissance historian Judith Brown learned about Benedetta Carlini was a nun from 17th-century Italy who “pretended to be mystic but who was discovered to be a woman of ill repute.” Some further digging revealed that after her visions were pronounced fraudulent by representatives of the Vatican Carlini was found to have fornicated with another nun.  That last bit caught Brown’s attention. Female mystics under investigation by the Catholic Church were often accused of fornication, but almost always with a monk or friar. In the late-medieval world — a time and place dominated by men fearful of female sexuality — lesbianism was so inconceivable that people simply refused to acknowledge its existence Its rarity in historical documents of the time indicated that Carlini’s path to sainthood was not interrupted by baseless rumors.  In an attempt to better understand the life of this extraordinary person, Brown looked for every reference to Carlini that she could find. The result of her endeavor, a book called Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy not only elucidates religious and historical attitudes toward human sexuality but also outlines the procedures and reasoning that the Catholic Church once used to determine whether a person’s prophetic visions were Despite being a work of serious and highly relevant scholarship Immodest Acts reads like a meticulously crafted crime story — a testament to Brown’s talent as both a writer and researcher. Carlini’s story unfolds in the same way as it did in life: chronologically It starts with her miraculous birth in the Italian countryside and rise as a saintlike figure and it ends with her downfall at the hands of a religious order that not only questioned her powers but feared them.  not by coercion or predetermination.  Carlini joined a community of unmarried women living on the outskirts of the nearby city of Pescia community members devoted themselves entirely to the service of God The women were prohibited from interacting with the townspeople that surrounded their convent and frequently flogged themselves with whips to recompense for their sins.  It was in this oppressive and isolating environment that Carlini — whom Brown describes as an imaginative person — began receiving visions from heaven. One time, a statue of the Virgin Mary began to move as she was praying Christ himself appeared to her in the shape of a handsome young man exchanging her heart with his own under the condition that she would endure tremendous suffering to prove her love for him.  Carlini’s superiors were not impressed Guided by the belief that women were spiritually inferior to men they warned her that her visions came not from God but the devil It was not until Carlini showed them tangible proof of her communication with Christ that the rest of the convent started to believe her: One night brandishing the nun with the same iconic wounds that Christ bore when he was nailed to the cross.  The stigmata, as these wounds were called, were known to have appeared on the bodies of numerous saints She also began preaching — an unusual practice as it was thought shameful for medieval women to speak in church was derived in part from the Bible (since Adam blamed Eve for his sin).  A turning point in Carlini’s life came when The Messiah ordered his bride to gather the convent’s nuns and their father confessor so they might witness their union The nuns thought their invitation meant they would bear witness to another tangible miracle the convent once again grew to distrust Carlini whom they suspected was looking for attention rather than salvation.  At their request, Stefano Cecchi, the provost of Pescia, came to investigate the nun. Such investigations were fairly routine at this point, as the Catholic Church had caught many people “faking” their mysticism A common method was by painting the stigmata each time Cecchi examined Carlini’s hands and feet which he did many times over the course of the investigation they were either covered in dried blood or freshly bleeding.  But the stigmata was not the only means by which sanctity could be verified Teresa of Ávila urged Church representatives to study the behavior of the mystic “The search for mystical experiences,” Brown paraphrases the most fundamental characteristic of a true seer.” In this area Although she had (speaking on behalf of Christ) often commemorated her own virtues Carlini may have tried to thwart the investigation she warned the provost that if he continued Considering the city was one of the few places in Europe that had not yet been touched by the disease Brown suspects that Cecchi took this warning to heart The investigation concluded: Carlini’s visions were officially validated and she was reinstated as abbess of her convent.  Documents are unclear as to how the second investigation got underway but Brown seems to suggest it had something to do with the way Carlini treated her fellow nuns subjecting the convent to the same rigorous standards to which Christ had subjected her in her visions She claimed to have briefly visited heaven a place she learned she was destined to go This time, the investigation was handled by a higher office within the Church: a nuncio or direct representative of the Vatican. In his investigation, the nuncio employed stricter guidelines than had the provost. Due in part to pressure from the Protestants the Catholic Church was forced to rethink its definition of a saint such a person was recognized through visions and miracles a saint was seen as someone who had lived an exemplary lifestyle.  Carlini was no better than her fellow nuns The nuncio also noticed a number of theological contradictions in her visions that Cecchi had overlooked it did not make sense that he had required Carlini to set up a wedding ceremony and convince her convent to attend it They were also unable to recognize the names of the guardian angels which Carlini said she had been given.  Perhaps figuring that their abbess’ days were numbered the other nuns came forward with confessions they had supposedly withheld from Cecchi One had seen Carlini smear a statue of Christ with her own blood only to tell others that it started bleeding on its own accord Another had caught Carlini sneaking into the convent’s kitchen late at night to gorge on salami — a favorite food she promised her divine husband never to eat again.  “The sister Benedetta,” records state in the evening after disrobing and going to bed would wait for her companion to disrobe Benedetta would grab her by the arm and throw her by force on the bed she would put her under herself and kissing her as if she were a man… And she would stir on top of her so much that both of them corrupted themselves.” Unable to process something that society had rendered inconceivable the scribe who wrote down these lines did so with an increasingly illegible handwriting had also set up psychological defenses allowing her to commit an act that her contemporaries considered sinful beyond measure: Bartolomea explained that Carlini would assume the identity of her male guardian angel who professed his divine love for her.  people accused of lesbianism were often burned at the stake Repeating what her father confessor had told her when she received her very first vision the abbess now maintained that her powers had been the work of the devil driven by the then-common notion that women were more impressionable than men and easily led astray by evil forces Carlini was forced to step down as abbess. The diaries of another nun reveal that she died at the age of 71 after having been imprisoned in the convent for several decades. Her fellow nuns were forbidden to talk to her, but in a final twist of fate, her funeral was attended by laymen who had come from far and wide, eager to bid farewell to the mystic married to Christ She had left her mark on the world and neither imprisonment nor death could silence her.”  This building by Savioli looks other-worldly but not because of its considerable technological content Archigram references or visionary character The ‘other world’ it comes from is that of a community which When you see it empty it is difficult to imagine how many flowers it might contain It will in any case be a considerable number Alberto Francini went to see what had been done to what is a remarkable building The Pescia Flowers Market by Leonardo Savioli and Danilo Santi (1971-80) text by Alberto Francini in collaboration with Filippo Pozzoli “It seems to me that one of the fundamental tasks of an architect should consist in identifying all those possible operations that are capable of removing all that is fixed and schematic of negating the peremptory nature of the current urban architectural space; in which today’s users find themselves in a situation of having to endure all that is served up in a pre-ordained Leonardo Savioli presented to Casabella the most interesting results of his interior architecture course which had just come to an end at Florence University on the creation of a space for fun and entertainment – a kind of Piper – for the Tuscan capital A theme that became the pretext for an investigation of new spatial solutions generated by the relationship between design and its users resulting in an architectural structure with no restrictions as to its use and paving the way for Savioli’s subsequent design work he and Santi presented a proposal for an urban structure as part of the Cannes competition described by Fabrizio Brunetti as “a study of considerable interest based on the principle of coincidence between a modular grid and artificial terrain understood as the prerequisite for an omni-directional growth of the organism and a free integrated arrangement of the different functions.” A living fabric capable of organising and designing itself through interaction with the people of the city to be interpreted as the provision of responses to the theme of urban flexibility which the competition announcement for the New Pescia Flower Market required of designers in 1970 Savioli and Santi won the competition with a project based on the lessons learned from the Piper lessons that were put into practice through the Flower Market more mature design mentality in the structure presented at Cannes Savioli responded to the need for a modular flexible space that would be open to potential transformation in accordance with future requirements by creating a large suspended plaza surrounding the trading floor volumetrically categorical space that is enlivened and humanised each day by the scents of the different varieties of flowers The ribbed hi-tech roof structure demonstrates an interest in the experiences of Archigram and Cedric Price which resulted in the design for the Centre Pompidou taking on an almost ontological connotation in the case of the Flower Market based on the interaction between the building and its users on the design spontaneity of the architectural creation and on the opportunity to interact with the city the brutality of the reinforced concrete floor strips away the tectonic material soul observed by Zevi in 1971: “Savioli has two souls: that of the Florentine who loves anything pertaining to the Renaissance formal features that liven up a diagrammatic piece of work; and one that is the very opposite which rejects fine design and subverts the geometry of space and volume.” A balanced design in its extreme polarisation total and accomplished in its functional efficiency to the point of being nicknamed “Flora’s Machine” by Adolfo Natalini not without a touch of irony: “Flora was the motto he used when entering the 1970 composition which was dedicated not just to flowers but to Flora Savioli’s wife: Leonardo dedicates ‘una macchina’ to Flora yet he’s never even driven a car.” (‘macchina’ means both machine and car in Italian – translator’s note) A ‘macchina’ which Savioli was perhaps dedicating to Pescia and the surrounding area one which today must pick up the challenge of responding intelligently to the uses which the contemporary world and the avant-garde legacy impose Per un nuovo rapporto tra l’utente e il suo spazio Alberto Francini is an architect from Florence and a research fellow in Milano and at the Pratt Institute of New York He graduated in Florence under Alberto Breschi He has collaborated with Giuliano Fiorenzuoli in New York and with Massimiliano Fuksas in Rome He is the co-founder and a partner of the architecture and urban-planning studio METROGRAMMA He is a professor at the Kent State University and at SEI HPT “South Ural State University” in Chelyabinsk He recently made an editorial contribution to PGT in Milan and website in this browser for the next time I comment The buildings designed by Giandomenico Belotti for the Baleri family at Albino.. 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You can read more about our Cookie Policy in our privacy policy Rosedale-Grandmont Little League Celebrates its Opening Day with help from Tigers’ Play Ball Detroit Partnership The District Detroit Awards Arts & Culture Neighborhood History Study and Report to Wayne State University Detroit Public Schools Community District in Partnership with Key Organizations Announce An Evening Of Fine Arts Fox Theatre May 14 Performance Sherrié Savage has been drawing since she was 4 years old she was encouraged to use art as an outlet throughout her life as multimedia designer at Little Caesars Enterprises Savage utilizes her talents to create graphics While her inherent creativity is evident in her professional work many of Savage’s colleagues were unaware of her passion for art and the extent of her skills To highlight personal artwork by colleagues like Savage, Little Caesars established the LC Colleague Art Gallery, located in a shared space on the third floor of the Little Caesars World Headquarters whose creations are currently on display in the building finds it important to see herself in her art while allowing others to do the same “I love to see other people happy about my work because it means they can relate to it It makes me want to keep going as an artist – in and outside of work – so others can feel like they’re being represented,” said Savage One of Savage’s works on display in the LC Colleague Art Gallery, titled, “It’s not you, it’s the shoes,” was initially featured in Design Core Detroit’s Month of Design in September 2022 through an exhibit sponsored by Footlocker was also displayed at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield before finding a home in the Little Caesars World Headquarters which gave Savage an immense sense of pride Another representation of Savage’s artistic work is her series of coloring books dedicated to celebrating Black culture “Naturally ILLustrated,” that are sold in local Meijer stores additional Little Caesars colleagues are selected to have their work displayed through a submission process and reviewed by the internal curation department “The Little Caesars World Headquarters is truly a masterpiece with special touches and details throughout the building designed to celebrate the talents of our incredible colleagues and create a welcoming and creative space for all We are proud to have such a unique and inspiring initiative for everyone to enjoy,” said Cindy Olsen Director of Curation and Content Activation Another colleague whose artwork has been featured is Jaime Pescia Vice President of Global Creative & Brand Engagement for Little Caesars Enterprises “People have talents about which we may have no idea and this dedicated space gives us an opportunity to showcase them in a fun and engaging way while creating connection amongst colleagues,” said Pescia “My artwork was a series combining watercolor and collage,” said Pescia “Initially I ripped it up because I was being too formal about it Ripping it up gave me freedom to create more The work turned into a representation of the emotion of looking at patterns A look at Savage’s and Pescia’s work can be seen in the photos below Upper Peninsula Teacher Honored as Detroit Red Wings Best in Class Program Winner Detroit Tigers Host Parkinson’s Awareness Day in Honor of Kirk Gibson on April 23 The Little Caesars Love Kitchen – Now Serving Four Million Guests The prospect of playing a match that was particularly heartfelt by both sets of fans with such limitations had generated some controversy: the president of Chiesina, Pierluigi Carmignani, had said he was sorry and had pointed out that the previous match with Giovani Via Nova had attracted 200 spectators. The president of Pescia, Alessandro Lucherini, had for his part made it known that he had asked for an exemption on the capacity and had received a negative opinion. 1520) that can be counted among the fundamental works of the mature Renaissance temporarily leaves the Palatine Gallery of Palazzo Pitti in Florence and returns the church that had welcomed it for more than a century and a half between the 16th and 17th centuries is compared with the copy commissioned from the Florentine painter Pier Dandini in the late 17th century precisely to replace it when it returned to Florence.After more than three hundred and twenty years the Madonna del Baldacchino reappears for the first time in Pescia is the result of a special project put in place as part of the Uffizi Diffusi program; supporting the ambitious operation is the Fondazione Caript In preparation for its ’transfer,’ the Madonna del Baldacchino underwent a light consolidation intervention in the highest portion of the wooden support and careful diagnostic investigations by theOpificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence that determined its state of health The specialists’ response determined that the work is fine and that it can be moved to Pescia and displayed in the cathedral without any problems Created by Raphael between 1506 and 1508 on a commission from the Dei family the large altarpiece was intended for the Church of Santo Spirito in Florence Called to Rome in the fall of 1508 by Pope Julius II who entrusted him with the decoration of his apartments in the Vatican (now universally known as Raphael’s Rooms) the Urbino in fact left the altarpiece for the Dei unfinished which therefore never reached the church and was replaced in 1522 by Rosso Fiorentino’s Sacred Conversation also now on display in the Palatine Gallery in Palazzo Pitti Of Raphael’s work came into possession not many years later his friend and executor Baldassarre Turini (1481-1543) a high prelate of the Holy See in the early 16th century as well as a prominent member of the Pescia community on the altar of the Turini’s chapel-mausoleum that Baldassarre himself had had erected between the 1430s and 1440s also to worthily accommodate the Urbino altarpiece The Madonna del Baldacchino remained there for a century and a half until 1697: in that year it was purchased by Grand Prince Ferdinando de’ Medici who brought it back to Florence to the palace of Palazzo Pitti where it is displayed among the masterpieces of the Galleria Palatina the altarpiece was hung in Ferdinand’s apartment in the southern wing of the second floor To adapt it to the context of the princely collection and the carved and gilded wooden frame it still has the painting was enlarged at the top by the court painter Niccolò Cassana; this explains the crowning of the cone-shaped canopy and the lacunar canopy that traces that of the Pantheon in Rome Raphael’s invention is one of his most memorable for the harmony of the figures the delicacy of the expressions and the ability to construct space airy and monumental but at the same time very measured elements that prove how autonomously Raphael mastered the models he learned in Florence from Fra’ Bartolomeo The copy painted by Pier Dandini was placed in Pescia Cathedral: this painting has undergone inspection and restoration in recent months in preparation for the exhibition that now compares it with Raphael’s original Restoration carried out in the laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure between 1987 and 1991 and recent investigations carried out by the same institute on the occasion of the Uffizi Diffusi initiative have established that the painting has varying degrees of advancement in execution thus confirming the ancient Vasarian testimony (of its history in fact we know a great deal thanks to the testimony of Giorgio Vasari) among those of large size and public use belonging to Raphael’s Florentine period The exhibition will be accessible, starting May 7, every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For security reasons, a maximum of 20 people per 20 minutes will be allowed to enter the Turini Chapel. Reservations are therefore recommended and can be made by accessing www.madonnadelbaldacchino.it starting May 7 The cost of the full ticket is 12 euros; free for children up to 13 years of age; reduced price of 9 euros for groups of at least 15 people residents in the municipalities of the Diocese of Pescia and holders of a ticket from museums belonging to the Pistoia Museum System it will also be possible to visit the Civic Museum of Palazzo Galeotti the Libero Andreotti Plaster Library and the Church of St For information email info@madonnadelbaldacchino.it “The possibility of contemplating Raphael’s masterpiece in its original location alongside Dandini’s refined 18th-century copy will be an opportunity for many to retrace an arc of art history that is among the most evocative and fruitful and to be able to situate it in a religious architectural adventure of extraordinary interest such as the Cathedral of Pescia from the Romanesque parish church to the adaptations of the different eras up to today,” says Monsignor Roberto Filippini the contemplation of the Urbino Altarpiece will allow it to return again to its origins and almost to prolong that Jubilee of its 500th anniversary the display of the Madonna of the Canopy will be able to offer a further reason to reconsider the importance of the path of beauty in the experience of the transcendent.” “The main criterion of the Uffizi Diffusi project,” says Eike Schmidt “is the reconstruction of the historical fabric and artistic events in the various centers where the works are exhibited Certainly bringing Raphael’s Madonna del Baldacchino to Pescia is an operation of exceptional weight which is not only intended to recall the original furnishings of the cathedral but also to highlight the figure of an important Pescia resident such as Baldassarre Turini.” “We wanted this project,” explains Lorenzo Zogheri “not only because of its cultural significance but also because it is a fine opportunity to enhance Pescia and the Valdinievole giving those who visit the exhibition the chance to learn about and appreciate its great artistic an initiative that is part of a path of other interventions in which we combine the theme of culture with that of the development of the territories.” A Fayetteville man was shot and killed Monday capping off a deadly holiday weekend in which the city saw another homicide investigation with a killer still on the loose a death investigation and three people dead in a traffic accident was found with gunshot wounds about 3:30 p.m according to the Fayetteville Police Department He was pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center was arrested at the scene on a charge of first-degree murder Police said the two men were involved in an ongoing dispute that ended in gunfire Brown’s death came less than 24 hours after a woman died Sunday from undisclosed injuries at the Westlake at Morganton Apartments Police declined Tuesday to release the individual’s identity saying: “Due to the nature of the findings of the preliminary investigation we will not be releasing the name of the individual.” Officer Alexandria Pescia said the woman was found when officers went about 5:30 p.m to the 100 block of Westwick Lane on a reported shooting “Detectives are working with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine manner and cause of death,” Pescia said While the city saw a respite from fatal shootings Saturday three people from Fayetteville were killed in a two-vehicle collision on Murchison Road near Harbor Road around 5:15 p.m. Police said May was driving a Nissan that collided with a Mercedes Benz in which Jones and Bradshaw were passengers How the accident happened and who was at fault was not released was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition Saturday An update on his condition was not available Tuesday morning a 19-year-old Fairmont woman became the city's fourth female homicide victim of the year when Ayanna Thompson was found with gunshot wounds about 11:45 p.m in a car in the 3000 block of Bragg Boulevard Warrants have been issued for Levon Campbell discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling and discharging a weapon into occupied property The weapon possession charge is the result of a prior conviction in Columbus County in 2017 for felony conspiracy to discharge a firearm into occupied property three people survived after being shot in Tabor City Campbell was charged in August and convicted in December in Columbus County with felony possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 24 months' probation in that case Anyone with information on Campbell's whereabouts is asked to call Detective T. Kiger at 910-705-6527. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477, online at fay-nccrimestoppers.org or through the free “P3 Tips” app available for mobile devices Norton can be reached at fnorton@fayobserver.com The Madonna del Baldacchino, Raphael’s unfinished masterpiece, will return to Pescia Cathedral, where it was originally located, from April 29 to July 30, 2023. The Uffizi, the museum that now preserves Raphael Sanzio ’s important altarpiece (in fact, the work is located in Palazzo Pitti an institution that depends on the Uffizi) has decided to return the Madonna del Baldacchino to its place of origin as part of a special initiative for the Uffizi Diffusi project Supporting and fully financing the ambitious operation is the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia.The Madonna del Baldacchino is currently at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence in preparation for the “move,” it was subjected to careful diagnostic investigations to assess its state of health The specialists’ response has established that the work is fine can be moved to Pescia and displayed in the cathedral without any problems and only needed very slight consolidation work on the highest portion of the wooden support.Created by Raphael between 1506 and 1508 on commission from the Dei family the large altarpiece had been conceived for the church of Santo Spirito in Florence by his friend and executor Baldassarre Turini (1481-1543) has undergone inspection and restoration in recent months in preparation for the exhibition that will soon compare it with Raphael’s original “Re-examining the great altarpiece almost forty years after the previous historic intervention,” comments Opificio delle Pietre Dure Superintendent Emanuela Daffra “has allowed us to verify the tightness of the latter to take stock of the painting’s current condition and to review our knowledge of it in light of extraordinarily advanced investigation technologies It is certainly a less striking intervention than a ’revelation restoration,’ but valuable in terms of long-term knowledge monitoring and critical review of solutions adopted in the past It is a rigorous and forthright research approach that characterizes the work of the restoration laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure: the recently renewed agreement between the two institutes - Opd and Gallerie degli Uffizi - offers the ideal context for cultivating it.” "The main criterion of Operation Uffizi Diffusi," says Uffizi Director Eike Schmidt which not only seeks to recall the original furnishings of the cathedral but also highlights the figure of an important Pescia resident such as Baldassarre Turini.” “In addition to having an undisputed artistic value,” stresses Lorenzo Zogheri president of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia “the project is part of the Valdinievole enhancement program that we are carrying out together with local authorities and the Diocese with the intention of bringing there a quality tourism that knows how to delve into the themes of the area and can share its values and experiences.” one of the most famous and admired works of the Florentine Galleria Palatina in the Pitti Palace," says Region of Tuscany President Eugenio Giani “returns after centuries to its original location inside the Cathedral of Pescia where it can be admired as part of the special project connected to the Uffizi diffused This is exceptional news not only for the visitors who will be able to admire it in the town of Valdinievole outside the traditional circuit of art tourism but also and above all because it is a concrete demonstration of the effectiveness of a project capable of expanding over the entire regional territory and enhancing the relationship between art It is a project that the Region supports with great conviction It is a support that we hope soon to concretize also with a regional law that helps to find new ways to enhance the territory and to bring back to each area the works most closely related to it.” For the bishop of Pescia Monsignor Roberto Filippini “The possibility of contemplating Raphael’s masterpiece in its original location next to Dandini’s refined 18th-century copy will be an opportunity for many to retrace an arc of art history that is among the mostart history among the most evocative and fruitful and to be able to situate it in a religious architectural adventure of extraordinary interest such as the Cathedral of Pescia from the Romanesque Pieve to the adaptations of the different epochs “The return of Raphael’s panel to Pescia is in addition to being a great event under the artistic-cultural profile a formidable promotional opportunity for our city turns on itself the attention of a potentially vast public; the Municipality of Pescia is moving according to a Strategic Plan for Culture approved by the City Council also with the recently reopened Civic Museum and the Libero Andreotti Plaster Casts Gallery to welcome those who will want to come and enjoy Pescia’s integrated cultural offer.” If anyone was going to make a lesbian nun movie, it would have to be Paul Verhoeven. The provocateur director chats with Steve Newall about Benedetta it charts the ascent of a 17th century nun (Virginie Efira) in Pescia Italy who had visions of Jesus—visions that see her fêted by some also encouraged Benedetta into a lesbian relationship that the church orthodoxy would consider blasphemous Also starring Daphne Patakia, Charlotte Rampling and Lambert Wilson (The Matrix series’ Merovingian), Benedetta premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d’Or I joined its 83-year-old director on Zoom to find out more THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY Set during a time that plague was inspiring fear in Europe I asked Verhoeven if the current pandemic reflected the themes of his film—in which we see religious figures take advantage of fear and crisis to suit their own ends we were just basing ourselves on the plague in the medieval times we found out that there was a corona crisis.” “When we were adapting the book of Judy Brown a mention of the plague at that time,” Verhoeven continues because exactly in the time that our movie is situated And that was by some people interpreted as being an announcement of terrible things that would happen and included more plague and this and that.” “But Benedetta makes clear in reality that it was not a sign that we were doomed And that Jesus would prevent the plague coming to Pescia where the provost points to the comet and says: ‘This is telling us that a plague will come to Pescia and we all die,’ and this and that And then Benedetta walks to the center of the square and says: ‘No It is a sign that Jesus will protect Pescia.’ And in fact although around Pescia there was all plague But it is certainly not influenced in any way by COVID at all.” Verhoeven acknowledges: “Interestingly enough but when Benedetta had said to the people around her that the city will be ‘Close the gates all over the city.’ So she says it’s Jesus [protecting the city] ‘Close the gates,’ and she basically orders a lockdown “And then you see that later because the gates are not opening and all the food goes up and down the walls People bring it to the walls and it’s picked up in little packages and it goes up and through the wall The people of Pescia are keeping the plague outside I think you can make an argument that the film is based on now but it is not I’ve been long interested in Verhoeven’s own interest and knowledge of religion He was a member of scholarly organisation The Jesus Seminar and published the non-fiction book Jesus of Nazareth (stemming in part from his research for an unmade film titled Jesus: The Man) I asked him how long he’d wanted to make a film with religion as one of the primary themes of the film is a portrayal of a nun—but not a quote-unquote you could not make a movie about a nun without the religion.” “the religion that I and the scriptwriters portrayed is that Benedetta has what I would call a personal Jesus it’s probably a reality—I really believe that she had these visions it is more that the Jesus that she married Don’t go.’ And then Bartolomea puts her finger in her vagina from behind—and Benedetta sees snakes These snakes are going to kill you or whatever she finds out that this Jesus is not really a really benign Jesus He turns out to be a villain based on her memories of her childhood when she was in the first scene of the movie where she is confronted with these missionaries It’s not for nothing that the bad guy ‘I’m saving you,’ but he turns out to be there is no shame.’ That’s after a scene where Bartolomea tries to look at Benedetta undressing and then Benedetta says you cannot see that because we cannot be naked.’ ‘No,’ Jesus says And you can have sex with Bartolomea.'” visionary state; perhaps she used pieces of glass to make but perhaps she was just dreaming and she doesn’t remember that she did it So there is a possibility that it was not all calculation I think there was probably elements in her thinking that she wasn’t aware of that she manipulated to reality.” While I had plenty to ask about Benedetta getting the chance to talk to Verhoeven meant that I’d be speaking to the man behind some of my favourite movies ever Little did I know this talk of Benedetta manipulating reality would soon see Verhoeven bring up one of the biggest successes for both himself and Arnold Schwarzenegger “She’s asked: ‘Am I going to heaven or to hell?'” Verhoeven says of one interaction with Benedetta late in the film. “She says: ‘You’re going to paradise.’ And then he says: ‘You’re lying to the end.’ But the movie refuses to say it is this or that. It’s not so far away, strangely enough, from Total Recall you don’t know if he’s basically lobotomised So is he lobotomised or is he really the hero of Mars that has given the population an atmosphere I’ve been asking these questions for 30 years now, I reply. “Yeah, yeah. Sure,” he says .”But when we did Total Recall one of the very interesting things for me was to do a narrative that you could interpret two ways It is a dream until the very end and he is lobotomised or he is really a secret agent that becomes a good guy everything is wonderful at the end and they kiss The music of Jerry Goldsmith really brings in this strange theme that it has to do with that’s the music—saying perhaps he’s lobotomised “I felt that Benedetta in some completely different way should be something like that,” Verhoeven continues Everything that she says is manipulation.’ I felt that was boring I thought it was much more interesting to give the audience a possibility here to choose sides when they come out of the movie.” It’s easy to be on the side of the people that are skeptical of her The film could have made them two-dimensional villains at times but in feeling like she’s staging events or manipulating them if you look how the movie developed from the book “And he read that book as a story about a woman that is gathering power in a male society He compared it even to dictators like Hitler or Mussolini—Benedetta fighting to get power And that the movie was about getting power.” “And I felt that that the movie was, yes, about getting power also. But the power was used to have a lesbian relationship. And basically, that conflict between Gerard Soeteman and me, basically, broke off our relationship on that. I finished the screenplay with David Birke who had written Elle Gerard read the book in a completely different way—I didn’t realise that and neither did he He had read the book as a metaphor for tyranny or female conquest or female power or something like that in a male society.” “Gerard and I were both basically against each other because of reading the book in a different way. That happened, and hasn’t happened before. I worked with Gerard already since, let’s say, 1968. He had done all my Dutch movies, including Black Book we came to this strange situation that we were disagreeing I wanted to make a movie about a lesbian nun and he wanted to make a movie about a female dictator In Deadline’s review of Benedetta Todd McCarthy mentions the audience at Cannes laughing at a particular scene where a sex toy is hidden away “Laughing about what?” asks Verhoeven when I mention this to him And also that the reviewer makes the comment “They’re not laughing at the movie they’re laughing with the movie.” They’re laughing at Verhoeven’s audacity and what you’re showing “That’s true,” he offers But how does that match up with his intention Does he like people laughing with his choices Especially when working with a dildo or whatever that’s especially funny of course when she says ‘I have a present for you,’ and then she turns it around and then it’s a dildo the daughter of the Abbess commits suicide.” and then it goes into a completely different thing And perhaps it’s unusual to combine suicide and Some people have a problem with that.” It’s a pleasure to talk to you today so I really appreciate this time—it’s really special It’s not completely normal.” Which is probably as it should be—Paul Verhoeven’s lesbian nun movie should be a bit of a weird movie Just before I hang up, the 83-year-old can’t resist mentioning his next project. “I’m working on a thriller in Washington,” he tells me. “It’s called Young Sinner with Ed Neumeier, the writer of RoboCop and Starship Troopers I put it to Verhoeven that Ed has already said publicly that there will be some sex in this film “You can’t tell where the dream begins “I always look for something that doesn’t exist—for a film that I wish I could see for the first time.” “It was that very heightened reality that I really wanted to create” “She’s such a formidable artist.” “I’m the first man in my family to be an actor Edgar Wright returned to New Zealand where we’d previously talked The World’s End as he chats with Steve Newall about his hit music-drenched-car-chase-romance-action-comedy-heist movie but you’ve had another major career milestone Introduce the family to the genre with gentle spooky thrills or settle in for something truly disturbing Keep track of the movies and show you want to see + get Flicks email updates By signing up, you agree to ourterms & conditionsandprivacy policy To post ratings/reviews we need a username This is what will appear next to your ratings and reviews A quick word from our partner before you go.. Please update toMicrosoft Edge Or, if you want to stick it out with Internet Explorer, please update your browser to the latest version(IE 11) Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker It not only seeks to give us a peek into the corruption in the ranks of the counter-reformists in early 17th century Italy but draws out one archetypal example of a nun who sought to challenge the system with her scandalous lesbian affair with another nun in the same convent nothing we haven’t seen in a Verhoeven movie before It sloppily walks the tightropes between individual and religious constraints but never ends up satisfactorily critiquing the Catholic church perhaps because it was simultaneously invested in crafting the supernatural spectacle of a nun receiving the stigmata (function(v,d,o,ai){ai=d.createElement('script');ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);})(window '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms/vdo.ai.js'); Benedetta successfully raises important questions about the politics of power, sexuality, corruption, and love at the backdrop of the slowly burning ambers of the Great Plague of Milan. Don’t worry; we are here to explain it all to you. Before you delve into the summary and explanation of the film below, consider yourself warned of spoilers. If you haven’t watched Benedetta yet, you can stream it online and on MUBI The film begins with young Benedetta’s journey to the town of Pescia Benedetta stops at an altar on the roadside to offer her prayers to the Virgin Mary A group of bandits arrives there and attempts to steal from the party young Benedetta’s warning about punishment miraculously turns to reality when a bird defecates upon the bandit who had snatched her mother’s necklace The bandits let them pass peacefully and return the necklace too Benedetta’s visions become more graphic with violence and start recurring taking everyone in the convent by surprise kept under control by a prescribed dosage of opium water Abbess Felicita also assigns Benedetta to share her living space in the dorm with Bartolomea believing that some company will do her good she has another vision of Jesus Christ asking her to undress and touch his hands She wakes up with stigmata the next morning on her feet and palms She points out that the marks of a crown of thorns are missing from Benedetta’s forehead; besides it came to her when she was asleep and not during prayer '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms-v1/vdo.ai.js'); informs her mother about the broken glass pieces she spotted on the floor beside Benedetta She is suspicious that the wounds are self-inflicted; Benedetta’s stigmata are no real miracle she speaks out against Benedetta during her confession A little after Sister Felicita and the Nuncio arrive at the convent in Pescia and learn of Benedetta’s death She confesses that she had been in heaven and had witnessed the fates of those present in the abbey Notwithstanding Benedetta’s curious behavior the Nuncio proceeds to investigate the truth of Sister Felicita’s allegations against Benedetta Bartolomea is subjected to inquiry and torture until she gives in and reveals the wooden statue that Benedetta had kept hidden from the Nuncio '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms-v2/vdo.ai.js'); Sister Felicita finds out that she is afflicted with the plague and Nuncio orders to keep her separately in a chamber downstairs Benedetta goes to speak to her for seeking forgiveness before she is to be executed and whispers something into her ears during the visit when Benedetta is fetched by the Nuncio’s men into the crowd she is initially calm and smiling but soon reveals new stigmata hints that the plague has entered the town of Pescia is a biographical drama said to be loosely based on the book Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy While Sister Benedetta’s story is said to have mythical resonances in Italian history due to its scandalous reputation and religious reasons this American professor delved into the state archives of Florence to produce an academic investigation into her life The film presents a brief prologue that gives us an insight into the early life of Benedetta as she was enrolled in the convent at Pescia Bartolomea (played by Daphne Patakia) is Benedetta’s accomplice in religious transgression When the Nuncio arrives in Pescia to investigate Sister Felicita’s claim of having seen Bartolomea and Benedetta in a sexually intimate position Bartolomea is subjected to cruel methods of torture for getting her to confess she ultimately gives away the truth – she and Benedetta have been engaged in frottage She also points the Nuncio to the object they have been using for mutual pleasure – a small wooden statue of the Virgin Mother that Benedetta had brought with her to the convent as a child '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms-v3/vdo.ai.js'); we will remember that the devastating bubonic plague ravaged the country of Italy between 1629 and 1631 leaving it more economically impaired than the rest of Europe for almost a decade It spread rampantly in the northern and central parts of Italy and is popularly called the Great Plague of Milan which traces the life of Sister Benedetta Carlini gives us a glimpse of the ebbing of this plague in the small we see how the entourage of the Nuncio and the ex-abbot of the Monastery encounter the plague on their way from Florence to Pescia Dead bodies are being dumped into the ground in heaps and people desperately seeking some relief from it Plague also features the symptoms of delirium and fever resulting in a kind of slow deterioration of the human body eventually pushing them into the abyss of death We can read Benedetta’s rise to power in the ranks within the monastery as a result of scientifically delirious symptoms The thirst for the power she comes to possess becomes the plague she gets afflicted with forcing her to subject her body continuously to physical pain and torture only to lead a life of (supposed) humiliation till her death as a septuagenarian Benedetta’s body becomes a site of pleasure as she indulges in sexually stimulating activities with Bartolomea The stigmata that she receives or willingly enforces upon herself and her death and resurrection are all performative acts that transform her body into a site of faith for the common people she would have to prioritize her body as the site of faith over its desires for bodily pleasure '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms-v4/vdo.ai.js'); she appears to be simply confused about choosing between the two sometimes not even clear to the audience why she picks the one she does It is for her sexual desires as a nun that she is subjected to a public trial because of her capacity to display the body as the site of faith in public This dichotomy is very real and is a defining feature of Sister Benedetta It is also how Benedetta yields this dichotomy to her own gains that she becomes a Machiavellian character in this story over her body as a site of pleasure and love On the day Sister Benedetta is to be executed who is afflicted with the plague and housed in a separate chamber Sister Felicita further asks what she sees in her future and Benedetta whispers the reply in her ear Panic breaks out among the crowd; Nuncio orders his men to take away Benedetta for burning the crowd breaks free in a rage against the Nuncio and the stake at which Benedetta was hoisted for execution catches fire She also spots a piece of broken pottery near her foot understanding that Benedetta had inflicted the stigmata upon herself to agitate the crowd against the Nuncio and save her we find Bartolomea and Benedetta lying in each other’s arms They appear to be in an abandoned cave or stable where they have sheltered far away from the town Benedetta observes thick black smoke rising from the town and begins to dress up She says that she needs to go back to her home and tells Bartolomea off when she says that her life in the convent was a thing of the past Bartolomea proposes to go somewhere new together but Benedetta asks if they are going to survive by stealing food or selling their bodies in such a life '//a.vdo.ai/core/v-highonfilms-v5/vdo.ai.js'); a title card appears telling us that Benedetta lived till 70 in that town She was sometimes allowed to attend mass and eat with the other sisters in the convent The film doesn’t clearly tell us whether or not Benedetta’s stigmata was supernatural or self-inflicted for rising the ranks among the sisters in the convent The confusion is part of its charm and its criticism We can talk if you promise to not judge my film choices Designed by Two Words