It is in fact in Umbria, precisely in Acquasparta (Tr), not far from the Romita di Cesi, the Franciscan hermitage where St. science has left its mark, thanks to the presence of Federico Cesi, who at the beginning of the 17th century gave life to the Accademia dei Lincei, the first scientific academy in Europe of which Galileo Galilei was also a member.
Ad acquas partes –
Acquasparta (Tr), which seems to derive from the Latin “ad aquas partes”, that is the part, the territory of the waters, an ancient city built on the ruins of a probable Roman settlement, near the municipium of Carsulae, overlooking the valley of the Naia stream and look at the woods of the Martani Mountains. The town is located between the sources of Amerino and Furapane, touched by the Ancient Via Flaminia, is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy in Umbria. Despite being a typical medieval village, it is the emblem of the Renaissance in Umbria, represented by the architecture of Palazzo Cesi, around which the entire historic center and the Church of Santa Cecilia, where the tombs of the illustrious Cesi family are located. . In Acquasparta the link with the Renaissance is so strong that for twenty-three years now we have been celebrating the arrival in the city of the enlightened Federico Cesi known as the Linceo, who moved to Acquasparta shortly after his marriage to the young Artemisia Colonna, which took place in 1614.
Renaissance Festival –
An excellent opportunity to visit Acquasparta and its rich territory is the “Renaissance Festival” to be held this year,
from 11 to 26 June
, a moment in which the historical re-enactment of the celebrations that the small community organized on the occasion of the arrival of Federico Cesi, one of the most significant figures of scientific culture of the early seventeenth century, will be given life with scrupulous historical fidelity and strong involvement of the inhabitants, one of the first proponents in Italy of post-Copernican astronomy, a passionate student of natural sciences, especially botany. For the 2022 edition, the event will have as its central theme the “Theatrum Totius Naturae”, a work begun and never completed by Federico Cesi, which should have been the New Great Naturalistic Scientific Encyclopedia, built thanks to free experimental observation with innovative – for the epoch – technical research tools, the telescope and the microscope, of which the Lincei claimed the invention. Parades in period costumes, challenges between districts, shows, initiatives for children and the inevitable typical taverns, will be the ingredients of the 23rd edition of the “Renaissance Festival” which involves the three districts of the village – San Cristoforo, Porta Vecchia and The Ghetto – competing for the “keys” of the city.
Grand Procession of the Contrade –
The Festival will open with the “Grande Corteo delle Contrade” entitled “Metamorphosis: the earth, the stars, man”, scheduled for the evening of Saturday 11 June, which in this edition sees the director Germano Rubbi coordinate the show in precious Renaissance clothes, enhanced by performances and representations on the theme of nature. The three districts will then compete during the fifteen days of celebration, in various competitions that the public will be able to attend: the Gastronomic Competition which will see the elaboration of a recipe of Renaissance cuisine that this year will have truffles as the protagonist, an excellent product of the territory , which has recently received the prestigious recognition of inclusion in the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (Truffle hunting and quarrying in Italy: traditional knowledge and practices); the Great Game of the Goose, a living revival, in costume, of the board game whose origins, in its modern version, date back to the second half of the sixteenth century; the Gara dei Tamburini enriched by the show of the flag-wavers, and the Gara di Teatro in which each district, with its own amateur actors, stages a free theatrical interpretation of a text written before 1630, reworked and adapted; in this edition the contrada companies will perform on texts by W. Shakespeare and F. De Rojas.
Collateral events –
Numerous collateral initiatives aimed at the public that will enrich the program, from photographic walks to discover the territory, small and large animals, wild orchids, shrubs and typical trees; to wine tastings in the Renaissance rooms of Palazzo Cesi “In the glass of the celivago – Playful journey between wines and planets” a journey that combines the character of each wine with the discovery of the characters of the planets; to theatrical and acrobatic shows with a Renaissance theme and pyrotechnic effects. There will be moments dedicated to children with “L’Accademia della Piccola Lince” a series of workshops related to the theme of science and scientific knowledge that will be based on observation in nature and the use of the microscope as an instrument of wonder and discovery. .
Magic and philosophy –
There are also several cultural events on the subject of nature, food and wine, science, which will be attended by experts: “The Renaissance between magic, natural philosophy and science. From the universal animation of nature to regnum hominis ”, scheduled for June 12; “Il Tartufo, from Renaissance cuisine to our table” scheduled for 13 June; “The art that describes: from the Tabule Phytosophicae to Naturalistic photography” scheduled for June 16; “The Natural desire to know and the space of freedom: Giordano Bruno, Tommaso Campanella and the Lincei” scheduled for June 18; in addition to the meeting on Saturday 25 June dedicated to ancient fruits and the protection of biodiversity. Accompanied by Isabella Dalla Ragione of the Arboreal Archeology Foundation, the research project of ancient local fruit varieties, culminating in an “Orchard Collection” located near Montone (Pg), it will be possible to discover how the study of works of art Renaissance has helped researchers in the identification of ancient varieties of fruit and native tree species, which in some cases have then been recovered and cultivated so that they are not lost.
Baroque music –
The Baroque music concert “Alla guerra d’amore. Vocal and instrumental music in Italy between the end of the 1500s and the first decades of the 1600s “by the” La Selva Ensemble of Ancient Music “in which Riccardo Pisani – singing will perform; Carolina Pace – recorder; Michele Carreca – theorbo and baroque guitar.
For more information: www.ilrinascimentoadacquasparta.it
Umbria: discovering Acquasparta between science and spirituality