ARTE NOUVEAU IMMERSION WEEK
Seventy Italian cities are participating in the present edition of Arte Nouveau Week (8-14 July 2025). The event, a grand tribute at European level to the artistic movement also known as Liberty, that dominated the art, architecture, crafts and design projects in many European towns and cities during the end of the 19th century and early 20th century until the outbreak of WW1.
The Italian version of the celebrations, that takes as its theme the butterfly motive designed by Arte Nouveau pioneer Eugene Grasset for the “Ver Sacrum” or Sacred Spring rituals, used for the US Putnam Fadeless Dyes Co. includes a programme of specialized guided cultural itineraries and lectures, coordinated by Prof.Andrea Speziali of the Italian Liberty Association, with access to numerous buildings usually closed to the public.
Among the tours programmed there are:
1) “Puglia Modernista” (9th - 11th July 2025) by coach, taking in Bari, Lecce, Trani, Barletta and others),
2) Freccia Liberty, Trains for Enthusiasts (8th - 14th July, a train trip from Northern Italy to the South, calling at 10 historic Italian stations decorated in Liberty style.
3) “Eterno Liberty. The dream of Art Nouveau (8th July-12th August) a deluxe tour in train and private plane, including stays in top class hotels and theatre performances.
Sicily also launches a programme of guided tours to the exhibition “Modernism in Sicily from Liberty to Arte Deco”, as well as a special opening of Villa Pottino (Palermo) with the exhibition “la Belle Epoque at Palermo between Art, Fashion and History”, plus a guided tour of Villa Ardizzone at Catania and the Liberty House Museum at Chiaramonte Gulfi (Ragusa), with works by Basile, Lalique, Legras and others. A special treat on offer is a dawn visit to Palermo's historic Liberty bathing establishment at the celebrated Mondello Beach.
Photos: Villino Florio and Casa Lazzara by Phil Lewis
M. STENHOUSE
Info:Associazione ITALIA LIBERTY: Tel. +39.3200445798 www.italialiberty.it
