Pietrasanta.

Dear Friends and Followers, 
It's been a long time  . . . . since my last blog posting.

As anyone who has moved house will know, the process of hunting, finding and finally moving is a most disruptive and energy consuming business. 
This is my truthful excuse for my absence of activity with this blog.

Yes, I have moved from the sweet Chianti countryside of central Tuscany, Italy to Pietrasanta, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietrasanta) a town set at the foot of mountains and 4 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast. 

Why did I choose to live in Pietrasanta?

The main square this winter with large sculptures on display.

 


















Pietrasanta is not your usual Italian town. 
It is special to me, first and foremost because of its history and continuing tradition of art through sculpture. This dates from when the Romans discovered that the white rock of the mountains behind was an endless source of beautiful, carvable marble. Since then, the town has evolved into an international centre where artists come to benefit from the sculptural expertise that has been handed down the generations. Skills ranging from making metal armatures, modelling in clay, mould making, carving in marble and stone, bronze casting, to tool making and all the other skills associated with the production of high quality and sometimes very large sculptures can be found within bicycle distance from the centre.
It lives and breathes sculpture.

It is special to me also because there is a pride taken and respect given to the artisans and artists that work here, and they really do: they work hard. There is a tangible buzz in the workshops and studios, because, (maybe I'm sticking my neck out here, but I believe that) much of the work is done with a passion and an effort to attain, or at least keep, high standards. Artists of all nationalities are welcomed here by the locals. They form an important part of the society which makes this town function.

Lastly, I have many friends here since I have been visiting Pietrasanta for foundry work for the last 25 years.

The beach is 4 km away and in the winter the sunsets over the sea are spectacular.