You'll find beauty in all shades of the rainbow here on Rai Italia.
Let's follow the Italian Beauty crew,
which has immortalized this beautiful country for you today.
We start our journey today in Siena, the Palio city.
The rooms of Palazzo Pubblico overlook the famous Piazza del Campo,
where horse races are held every year.
Entrepreneur and patron of the arts Simon Pietro Salini
decided to showcase his collection of Siena masterpieces
created between the 1200s and the 1400s.
It's a unique opportunity to see pieces that are rarely available to the public.
Then, we'll go to La Scarzuola, in Umbria,
where Francis of Assisi is said to have visited in 1218.
In this location, Tomaso Buzzi decided to found the ideal city.
Amid philosophy, esotericism, and a pinch of folly,
this is a very peculiar itinerary for our Rai Italia viewers.
Finally, Baustelle brings us the energy of contemporary Italian music.
This rock group has been active for over 20 years.
Their lyrics gather dreams and carefully picked words
to express the feelings and restlessness of our times.
Let's start out with some art.
These masterpieces have been collected by meticulous curatorship.
A limitless love for the arts makes the Salini collection,
exhibited at Palazzo Pubblico in Siena,
a unique opportunity for those who love Italian paintings.
"SIENA FROM THE 1200s TO THE 1400s: THE SALINI COLLECTION"
Siena, framed by the splendid Piazza del Campo,
where architect Simon Pietro Salini,
one of the most important entrepreneurs in Italy
and a sophisticated art collector,
decided to organize the exhibition "Siena: From the 1200s to the 1400s".
It is a suitable tribute to the magnificent art created in Siena,
of which Salini is the biggest enthusiast worldwide.
His wish is to show Siena to the world.
MAYOR OF SIENA
Passionate about the arts, he collects Siena pieces from that period,
representing the most sophisticated paintings in the history of Italy,
Europe and the entire world.
Fortunately, his wish
aligned with our availability and sense of pride
to showcase the history of Siena in the 1200s-1400s
while reviewing the works of art from that period.
Usually kept inside the ancient walls of Castello di Gallico,
the Tuscan mansion where architect Salini lives,
the homonymic collection of Siena art
will be hosted through September 15, 2017
at the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.
Palazzo Pubblico has many floors.
We're on the underground level, below Piazza del Campo,
underneath the marketplace, where we had salt warehouses.
Precious items were stored there back in the day.
It's been admirably repurposed,
in a way that highlights the value of these works.
In some ways, it's as if the place were meant to showcase these pieces.
Architect Simon Pietro Salini conceived the idea.
He decided to bring his collection to Siena
and introduce it to a wide range of viewers.
These works are usually kept in his Castello di Gallico.
As you can see, this is a unique collection.
ART HISTORIAN
It's one of the most relevant Italian collections in the 20th century.
We can see paintings, sculptures, maiolica,
jewelry and ornaments
that have traveled the roads of Sienese paintings
between the 1200s and the 1400s.
Among these pieces, we could highlight at least 30 masterpieces.
These unique pieces are very relevant,
not only because they represent a very precise period in his production,
but also due to their origin,
since they come from prominent private collections.
One of the first pieces we see at the exhibition
is "The Crucifixion" by Duccio.
This is a gorgeous piece, created by the painter in his younger years.
It comes from the Odescalchi collection
and it was a very prestigious commission,
as we can see upon analyzing the materials
Duccio used when painting this crucifixion.
For example, he used lapis lazuli for the blue.
The embellishment close to Christ's body
is silver based.
We're standing before a work of art
that is exceptionally relevant in the field of Italian paintings.
After Duccio, we have this stupendous sculpture by Giovanni Pisano.
This sculpture was probably kept outdoors,
since we can see that the marble has been worn out,
so much so that it was hard
to identify it as Saint Peter.
Saint Peter's key wasn't readily visible,
and only some traces of it remain.
This sculpture was most likely displayed in an outdoor niche.
"The Crucifixion" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti is yet another masterpiece.
In this small, high-level canvas
we can see The Madonna
depicted in deep anguish.
She's wearing a black cloak, seems to be taking a step forward
and you can see some strands of her blonde hair.
The theme of crucifixion is very present in this exhibition.
Goro di Gregorio's "Crucifixion" featuring two mourners
most likely comes from a memorial.
If you pay attention to the small altarpiece
depicting The Madonna and Child,
it seems to be the precious work of a goldsmith.
It's made of marble, but it looks like ivory.
"SIENA FROM THE 1200S TO THE 1400S: THE SALINI COLLECTION"
Still on the topic of great sculptors, let's move on to Tino di Camaino.
He was Giovanni Pisano's pupil and,
at first, his art is influenced by the dynamic Gothic elements
we see in Giovanni Pisano's works.
In his Neapolitan period, he made this small triptych
that represents Jesus standing between The Madonna and Saint Joseph.
This is a very rare and relevant piece,
a piece meant for a private altar.
It's rare because, even though we often find altarpieces
made by painters, it's hard to find those made by sculptors.
To complete this first floor, we have a piece by Simone Martini.
This small Saint James
was part of a larger set composed of 12 saints,
which has been divided among several museums.
Simone Martini and Ambrogio Lorenzetti were two painters
who learned their craft at Duccio's workshop, but soon
they found their own ways and a language different from their master's.
On the next floor,
we start to see Sienese works created
after 1350...
Well, in 1348 we had the famous black plague.
It was a torment and so many people died.
The population in Siena decreased to a half.
Painters continued to follow the school of Duccio,
while incorporating elements of Lorenzetti or Martini.
For example, this polyptych from the Church of San Gimignano
is a beautiful piece by Bartolomeo Bulgarini.
This Madonna is very representative of Siena,
with such captivating features,
and the style of Duccio.
The tender look in her eyes is attributed to Martini's influence,
as it can also be seen in the child playing with the Gothic crown.
From another part of the province, we have this polyptych by Luca di Tommè,
from a small village called Segalaie in the Sovicille commune.
Parts of this polyptych were missing
and have been restored for this exhibition.
This is a pietistic painting dedicated to devotion.
The characters are wood-like, stiff.
We can only see a few traces of tenderness and kindness
in the exchange between Madonna and child.
It's clear that Lorenzetti was the inspiration behind this work.
Tommè was familiar with the works of the master who had died of the plague.
Even though new styles weren't developed by painters then,
nor did new names become significant,
among sculptors we had Jacopo della Quercia.
One of his high-quality works of excellence
is "Madonna with Child in Throne".
It depicts a young, elegant Madonna
holding a strong, vigorous child
who looks like a little Hercules.
It was made in naked terracotta,
a material used often in ancient times.
It disappeared in the Middle Ages, but returned in the Renaissance.
Many sculptors used it.
After Quercia, we have other important names,
such as Francesco di Valdambrino and Domenico Niccolò "di cori".
Domenico Niccolò was named "the choir maker"
because he's famous for his choir seats,
located upstairs at Palazzo Pubblico in Siena.
Another notable artist is Sassetta.
Here we have this tablet depicting San Bernardino
holding a trigram with the name of Jesus
surrounded by 12 rays.
One of his favorite students was Sano di Pietro.
This painter had a very exciting youth,
with a truly high-quality production.
In his elder years, he changed his style
and started painting affectionate Madonna images.
These were all privately commissioned.
These images were popular and highly sought in the market.
On the last part of the exhibition, we feature Francesco di Giorgio,
one of the greatest painters, sculptors, and architects in Italian renaissance.
We have two pieces credited to Francesco di Giorgio and his pupils:
"Story of Coriolanus" and "Madonna with Child".
To close the exhibition, we have yet another masterpiece:
"The Annunciation Angel, Orphan of the Virgin Mary"
by Neroccio di Bartolomeo de' Landi.
It was painted for the chapel of the Santa Maria della Scala Hospital.
Over the years, we've seen both temporary and permanent exhibitions
organized by the largest museums in the world about the arts of Siena,
which is the pinnacle of Medieval arts worldwide in that period.
It's rare, maybe only once in a lifetime,
that you get to see them together.
This is a meticulous, passionate effort,
which represents the love of an Italian and international entrepreneur
for the art from our city.
In addition to paying tribute to the history of Siena,
he has also financed most of the exhibition.
He is a true patron of the arts.
He curated the exhibition with pieces scattered throughout private collections
and put together a unique collection,
which I hope will be seen by many Siena residents and tourists alike,
because I believe it's the chance of a lifetime.
La Scarzuola is not only the location of an old Franciscan convent,
but also a place where, between 1958 and 1978,
architect Tomaso Buzzi decided to build his ideal city.
It's an allegory of existence between Jung's theories,
archetypical images, masonic inspiration, and lunar visions.
"THE CITADEL OF UTOPIA" BY FEDERICO LODOLI
We're at La Scarzuola, the site of an old convent
built where Francis of Assisi may have spent one night in 1218.
However, we're here because between 1958 and 1978,
architect Tomaso Buzzi had decided to create some sort of "ideal city."
His nephew will talk about his peculiar uncle.
It was but a game to him.
OWNER AND TOMASO BUZZI'S NEPHEW
He used tuff blocks as if he were playing with Legos.
Here, he didn't act as an architect and engineer.
He went back to his childhood and started to play
while building a theater set
that represented his world of dreams.
What Buzzi built was a world designed to be a moving stage.
His palace and pathways, on the other hand,
allow anyone to return to their original essence.
The path to connect with yourself is a personal one.
Everyone always gets a different answer.
If only human beings understood
that our purpose here is to become one.
Everyone on earth, no matter what we do,
we're doing precisely what we must do.
Everything else is secondary.
Are we succeeding in it?
The youth should succeed.
From time to time, La Scarzuola welcomes guests and visitors.
But those looking for a Sunday outing got it all wrong.
According to our host, it's about reaching the omega point,
overcome the opposite,
connect with the earth and let go of our own identity.
Interactions between visitors and our host can easily go awry.
When you have visitors... - Yes?
You never know what is going to happen.
Because things can go south fast.
What do you do then? Deny their visit?
I could do that.
If a very stiff bunch shows up,
that's a ticking time bomb.
Yesterday I told someone,
"You shouldn't have come here if you know nothing about this place.
"Why? Because it's dangerous!"
What did they say? - They insisted they wanted to visit.
Buzzi used to ask, "What is La Scarzuola?
"Free flowing altruism
"or selfishness?"
We were already prepared for our descent into the abyss
before finding something new.
It's a Via Crucis with a changing path.
It's a journey that lets you dig deep while looking up from above
to absorb what the complex design is trying to tell us.
These are the two parks in this theater.
What does Buzzi see from up above? Geometry.
The proposed path is a spiral.
Time is one of the architect's obsessions.
Time? - Time. La Scarzuola is timeless.
It has no time.
Is there time in theater?
No. There's no time. - Exactly.
What happens in a spiral? You only see it while you're spinning.
What does that mean? It means you must keep moving in life.
There must be movement. - Yes, because what happens
if you just stand there? - Nothing.
Nothing! - Exactly.
One is clockwise, the other is counterclockwise.
We have matter and non-matter, right? - Yes.
I can count matter, but I can't count non-matter.
Here we have the tremendous one, the Mother Goddess.
A bit of metaphysics.
Savinio... Magritte...
Dalí used to come here during summer. Cartier Bresson...
They had been friends with Buzzi since the 1920s.
He was a nice-looking young man back then.
The only one who was still single. What did single guys do then?
And when will this place be completed?
It will never be completed.
It should never be finished.
There was divine intervention on his work: a thunderstruck cypress.
Can we go in? - First we must go through the squares.
Through the square: Vitruvius.
Should I try?
Before the circle comes the square. Unless you get electrocuted
or have an accident once inside the circle.
In the 1970s, during an August storm, that's when lightning struck.
Now the theme is darkness: Jonah and the Whale.
Jonah, Pinocchio, and Christ were all swallowed up.
You can start a new journey, right?
Then we have the three phases of alchemy.
"The Black Piece," which di André calls "Tamino."
It's about our corruption.
That's where your journey starts and you find out who you are.
Once you discover it, you stir up your adult self.
That's the speech of the crucible and grappa.
Water and fire are the elements you must use to boil it.
You add the stalks, pomace, and then the adult.
It all boils over, right?
Then we go back to Plato's cave. We're on lower ground.
When you hit the proverbial bottom,
it's inevitable that you'll rise up.
Agreed.
As the grappa boils down,
water starts to evaporate.
The same thing must happen to us.
As we boil ourselves down,
something subtle must leave our bodies.
That's why people say that the essence of each one of us,
as Michelangelo put it, is inside the stone.
You must chisel to free the essence inside.
However, what does society do nowadays?
It makes you constantly add things from the outside.
That's why people are dazed by all these things piling up.
Where do you put all that?
The Twelve Labors of Hercules.
Why are you walking on the side?
You can climb it anyway you want.
There are levels. When you pass a level, you move on to the next one.
You are the one behind the wheel.
And at what level are you now?
I must purge myself from what others say.
Bucci and Bomarzo used to say: "Wonder!"
You must be amazed at everything.
Then you bring this sense of wonderment
to practical, concrete situations.
Isn't that what artists do?
Something wonderful that doesn't exist, but I can materialize it.
We're approaching the end of the downfall.
It's the materialization of something new.
And here's that door that becomes a key.
It's very narrow and it leads to the circle.
Here's the circle.
The link between earth and sky.
We are links, but we must find our central axis.
It's an external process,
from the outside back in, to our origins.
How do we get to our origins?
With the net. That's the novelty.
There was no network before.
This new era completely changes our interactions,
and our view of the past, which already passed.
There's no use claiming it, doing it again, denying it.
It's done and over with. Move on.
You move on by going back to your origins, that is, Mother Goddess.
With a network, everyone is the same.
Even when we're all scattered around, we're always at the center.
All traditions
speak of something that has happened and disrupted harmony.
You must disrupt harmony to find harmony.
Each one of us, becoming one
must represent duality at the highest level.
When did we lose it all?
When the discourse on the matter emphasized the excess.
Or it was due to excessive spirituality.
They're opposites today, right?
We lost the balance.
This is the Tower of Babel.
Inside the tower, we have a crystal with the scale of the seven octaves.
We must return to the octaves
after playing seven notes well.
We're octaves entering a world of seven notes.
We forget it and then play it like this, or we don't play at all.
In the end, octaves will reabsorb us.
Esoteric signs, mentions of the cabal, references to psychoanalysis,
and now Freemasonry, Pinocchio, Jonah and the whale,
high citations and popular culture.
In a nutshell, at La Scarzuola you enter a made-up world to find yourself.
We just hope to get out of here alive.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be