“THE WORDS OF THE SEA AND THOSE OF MEN”, A DIALOGUE ON RAFFAELLO BRIGNETTI AND HIS SEA
"THE WORDS OF THE SEA AND THOSE OF MEN", A DIALOGUE ON RAFFAELLO BRIGNETTI AND HIS SEA
"The Words of the Sea and Those of Men" is the title of the encounter that took place on the evening of Wednesday the 29th of May, within the fascinating setting of the Accademia del Bello (the "Academy of Beauty") in Poggio. Surrounded by the breath-taking atmosphere of the palace from the 1600s, the intimate, profound dialogue between the architect Paolo Ferruzzi and the poet Manrico Murzi recalled to mind many memories of the writer Raffaello Brignetti and his relationship with the sea.
An evening dedicated to literature, poetry, and beauty as elements capable of developing and narrating the sea, an approach which indeed also characterises the Sea Essence International Festival, distinguishing it from other events devoted to the safeguard of the environment.
'The aim behind the SEIF festival is to develop the sea and its beauties' - stated Fabio Murzi, President of Acqua dell'Elba, the company promoting the event - 'not just from the point of view of the environment and landscape, but also from that of the arts and culture. Such was the inspiration behind this evening, which also represents an important occasion to commemorate the writer Raffaello Brignetti, with whom we share a bond because of his passion for Isola d'Elba and its sea'.
Brignetti's sea is a sea that nobody knew the way he did. 'The greatest Italian "Sea Author,"' - as the poet and dear friend Manrico Murzi defines him - 'the only one who was able to not just talk about the sea, but let the sea talk itself, giving voice to its stillest waters, its shorelines, its waves crunching rocks as easily as little kids crunch cereals'.
Here is the distinction between the words of the sea and those of men, inspiring the title of the whole evening. The words of the sea are sung through a poetic, musically mysterious prose which resounds in the emotionally charged, living silence of the reading room in the Academy of Beauty.
'This location is dear and open to all custodians of interior beauty' - said Paolo Ferruzzi - 'and if it is true, as Dostoevsky used to say, that beauty will save the world, this is also a place to throw down the gauntlet so that the world, today, may take charge of saving Beauty. Acqua dell'Elba, in its longstanding commitment to safeguard the beauty of the sea, accepted this challenge by organising this evening, and the poet Manrico Murzi decided to ride along'.
Raffaello Brignetti, born on the island of Giglio in 1921, is considered and celebrated as an Elban writer because of the origins of his parents, and also because of his choice to live for a long time in the "Tore", the symbol of the town of Marciana Marina.
After a period of initial studies in mathematics, he graduated in Rome with Giuseppe Ungaretti writing a thesis about Italian and foreign "Sea Authors", thus entering the Socratic symposium surrounding the charismatic figure of the Great Poet.
During the course of his life, he was the winner of various prestigious literary awards, among which in 1967 the Viareggio literary prize with "Il Gabbiano Azzurro" ("The Azure Seagull"), and in 1971 the Strega Award with "La Spiaggia d'Oro" ("The Golden Beach").
Now, the next appointment bringing us closer to SEIF will take place on the 7th of June at the headquarters of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park in Enfola. "#Elba2035" is the title of this encounter dwelling upon topics of economic development, in particular the socio-economic scenarios which are expected to develop during the next 15 years and their potential repercussions on the Italian and Elban realities. The debate shall therefore touch upon issues relating to administration, urbanisation, tourism, economy and environment, with a peculiar focus on the blue economy.
The first part will be dedicated to the contributions of three illustrious speakers:
Andrea Sartori - Senior consultant at Altis - Business and Society Graduate School of the "Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore" in Milan: "Sustainable Development Strategies for Private Enterprises and Public Administrations, and Planning of Participatory Approaches for Local Development";
Andrea Vettori- Vice-Head of the "Local Territory Usage and Management" department of the European Commission's Environment Directorate-General: "Environmental Context and Legislative Framework in 2035";
Monica Fabris - President of Episteme: "Essential Traits of our Society in 2035".
The second part will then be dedicated to the contributions of local stakeholders, administrators, representatives of trade unions and associations, public entities, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens, thus enriching the debate through the narration of their direct experiences, issues and challenges they are facing.
The rest of the day will then proceed with a third moment for debate and discussion between the speakers and the stakeholders.