It’s full autumn, but it seems it is still summer. If it weren’t for reddish tree leaves, the colour of the sky and the heat  could be those of a June day.   

I decided to take a walk in Lucca city centre, left my car outside the walls, and headed to Fondazione Ragghianti, where I wanted to visit Robert Cahen video art exhibition. I went there, very interesting.  

I didn’t know the artist, even though is quite famous, and I am glad they scheduled this new exhibition at the same time of Lucca Film Festival, part dedicated to Cahen. I think Lucca is developing a good new cultural panorama……

Well after that I kept on walking, passed medioeval S. Gervasio gate, and it was already so hot and about lunch time!

Then I decided to walk up on the walls: the tree colours were fantastic, a variety of yellow, green, red, of natural beauty on the top of an human creation dating back 600 years. What a sensation! I lived here most of my life, and still I get surprised by the beauty of this city, especially when I walk on its unique Renaissance walls.

My walk was about to end, I had to get lunch and then go back home. ……waiting for next week-end greatest event for my city: Lucca Comics and Games…..on my next post!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a successful 2008 edition, attended by a total audience of 34,000, the Festival della Mente, directed by Giulia Cogoli, will hold its 6th edition in Sarzana from Sept. 4-6, 2009. The first European event to be entirely devoted to creativity and its processes, the Festival della Mente, promoted by Fondazione Carispe and by the City of di Sarzana, will bring together writers and linguists, artists and musicians, architects and designers, psychologists and psychoanalysts, mathematicians and historians, actors and chefs scientists and philosophers from Italy and abroad—all with an original contribution to offer regarding the nature of creativity, this most valued human ability. The Festival della Mente invites all participants to share in this project by contributing a talk, a performance, a frontal lecture, or a new and original workshop. All participants, in other terms, come here to tell not only what, but first and foremost how and why.

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

Art Campus is an experience of discovery and understanding contemporary art.
Lucca is the location of Art Campus, because Lucca since May 10th 2009 has got Lu.C.C.A, Lucca Centre of Contemporary  Art.

 

A museum, THE LIVING MUSEUM, dedicated to contemporary art, in the unique scenery of the medioeval city centre, one of Tuscany most beautiful locations. The exhibition now in programme is “A new visual world – Origine, Balla, Kandisky and the abstractions of the 50’s”.

Art Campus is made of art and beauty, is made of people’s creativity, of everyone will to know Art and share experiences.
Each Art Campus activity will be filmed and shared on social networks, there will be a dedicated blog where partecipants can post pictures of their art works and travel images, discuss on art projects, create connections.

You can decide to take part to Art Campus individually or in small groups: if you want to take part on your own, our proposal will be tailor made to your travelling needs (dates and days), if you are a small group, or would like to join one, you might choose among the different possible Art Campus proposals.

You can read the whole programe day by day here.

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

Villa Mazzarosa, Capannori Lucca, host an exposition dedicated to Amedeo Modigliani’s drawings. A new way to discover the great artist celebrated all over the world mainly for his sculptures and paintings; this will be the first exposition completely dedicated to these drawings that the artist made especially in Paris, and really often used as coins for paying dinners and drinks. Tuscan Art in the world, discover it onto the sweet hills of Lucca. Until the 28 of June.

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

2009 programme is  amazing! don’t miss the chance enjoy your favourite singers concert in a unique location: Lucca historical city centre. The city is really vibrant during Festival days, and you can decide to fly or drive here just for one concert (take advantage of low cost flights, book NOW!) or you could spend more days and combine different artists.

we can propose different accommodation, starting from Euro 30 per person in double room (apartments are even cheaper!), up to villas and charming hotels of the city or on the coast!

here is the programme:

July 5th  Dave Mattews Band

July 8th Anastacia

July 10th  Biagio Antonacci

July 11th Lenny Kravitz

July 15h Enzo Avitabile

July 16th James Taylor

July 18th Burt Bacharach

July 23rd Summer Giovani

July 24th James Morrison/Amy Mc Donald

July 25th  Moby

July 26th John Fogerty

 

GET IN TOUCH WITH US FOR RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS.

 

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

Sicily, Sardinia and Tunisia. 

Toward Maghreb trough Egades Island and Pantelleria. A journey in the hart of the Mediterranean.

 

From Europe we never think about Africa: it seems too far, another world. It seems we ignore that there, just crossing the Sicilian Channel, we can find gorgeous and solitary shores.
First part of our journey, leaving from Marsala, will be the Egades Archipelago, a small group of islands safe from the tourism wave, full of light and nature. Then Pantelleria, with its black volcanic rocks and a magnetic atmosphere. Then Tunisia, starting from Kelibia, the biggest and most folkloristic fishermen’s harbour in the country, full of life in the morning, with small houses surrounded of the voices of the market. A little northern, Capo Bon, then Tunisi and the ancient Cartagine rests. Then ahead again, toward Ghar el Mileh Cape, where the sea is still the same as at the beginning of times. From here, going ahead, every mile is a visions, with intense colours until Bizerte, with its savage coasts, and finally, bow due to north, toward Sardinia, island of sandy beaches, silences, and light blue water.

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

More than 500 examples of beautiful minerals from all over the world. Part of the Giazotto collection - the most important and best-known collection of crystals in the world – the pieces on display come from places as diverse as South Africa, China, the European Alps and Brazil.This remarkable collection–which includes beautifully nuanced examples of tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz and quartz-has been created by physicist and globe-trotter Adalberto Giazotto, who has had a passion for crystals since his childhood. He has defined his interest as a “wonderful obsession” and it has taken him to every corner of the globe in search of unique and uniquely beautiful crystals to add to his collection. Saved before they were cut for gems, these crystals are displayed in their original forms, providing insight into their natural structure.

The exhibit has been installed in La Specola, the world’s oldest Natural History Museum, with some of the collection on display in the adjacent Palazzo Pitti. For this occasion the passageway that connects the Specola Museum and the Boboli Gardens has been reopened, re-establishing a physical and metaphorical connection between Science and the Arts.

The exhibit is open April 1 – October 1, 2009.
The Specola Natural History Museum
Florence

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

Capraia Island, the wildest and best preserved of the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, offers shelter to sailors in its small unique marina where you can experience the voyage atmosphere. The island is an interesting site from a naturalistic point of view, both on-land and underwater. It’s one of the last spots where the corse seagull nests and its steep walls, which continue underwater, characterize the marine landscape, with their rich fauna and flora.
Elba island, besides its white beautiful beaches, offers the chance to visit typical small villages, like the ancient Porto Ferraio area.
Thanks to its various underwater seascapes, from sandy bottoms with Posidonia beds to rocky walls where red coral can often been observed, it is one of divers’ favourite destination.
Last but not least while sailing among the islands it’s not rare to sight different species of dolphins that often follow the boat for a long way.

Dates and price
June: 29-5 July
July: 13-19
570 € per person
July: 18-24, 25-31
August: 22-28, 29-4 September.
640 € per person
August: 1-7, 8-14, 15-21
690 € per person

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

This tract of the Italian coast is well known for its numerous Marine Protected Areas, especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biodiversity, and with a wide variety of landscapes and idyllic anchorages. The “5 Terre and Porto Venere Marine Protected Areas” are well known for their unique features which combine man-made scenarios with astonishing natural landscapes not to be missed: overhanging rocks on the sea and little bays and beaches, thousands of kilometres of dry walls and fields of vineyards, the beautiful small medieval villages, the sanctuaries and the footpaths above the sea, not forgetting the excellent Ligurian wines and local typical cuisine. The area is well sheltered, offers safe berths and with all conditions, it is possible to relax in front of Palmaria Island and visit the wonderful village of Porto Venere.

Dates and price
June: 5-7, 12-14, 19-21, 26-28.
July: 3-5, 10-12, 17-19.
190 € per person

Ports and times of embark/disembark
Ripa Verde Marina, Fiumaretta – Ameglia (SP)
Arrival on Friday afternoon from 6 pm, departure on Sunday afternoon by 6 pm.

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it

It’s your dream coming true. Choose to celebrate your wedding and wedding party in Italy, then spend and unforgettable honeymoon here. The solutions are really a lot, just send us an e-mail with your ideas, then I will send you back my proposal!

 

For further information please visit our web-site www.eliotropica.com, or send us an e-mail at info@eliotropica.it