Feste Archimedee
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April 15, 2021
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Feste Archimedee
Art and ingenuity in the name of the most illustrious Syracusan genius.
Turn Ortigia into an open-air theatre; this is the idea that accompanied the creation of the Feste Archimedee, a festival that celebrates young talent and genius, in the city where one of the most famous geniuses of all time lived, Archimede.
The Feste Archimedee were organised for the first time in 2012, by a pediatrician and a teacher, Carlo Gilistro and Edda Cancelliere, two visionaries from Siracusa, brought together by a love for children and a passion for their homeland.
Thanks to their creativity and hard work, they launched an event that was destined to grow over the years, with the goal of promoting young talent (up to 26 years) in every form of art: singing, dancing, theatre, music, opera, science, literature, philosophy, photography, painting. The result is a motivated and passionate team that lets imagination run free through the streets of the historic center of Siracusa.
During the first week of July, the streets and squares of Ortigia come to life, to celebrate the union between Art&Genius, with a special regard to science. The festival is linked to an international conference on pediatrics and child psychiatry, and both have the aim of turning Siracusa into the Mediterranean capital for children and young people.
The festival takes place in various locations, where events, debates, and cultural meetings rotate every day. The inaugural parade and the various travelling performances involve important historical and artistic locations, for example the Temple of Apollo, the Artemision, the Fountain of Aretusa, and the Hypogeum in Piazza Duomo, where they contribute to enhance their natural charm.
The children’s favourite moment is no doubt the afternoon, when educational workshops take place. It is difficult to quantify the number of children, associations, schools, volunteers, professionals, who attend and create all kinds of recreational activities. It is just as hard to describe the joy that lights up the childrens’ faces, the smiles captured year after year, the surprise in recognising familiar faces or in discovering new games, the sadness when the day is over and the workshops end.
When night falls, young creativity and genius walk on stage and offer various types of performances. The gala-evenings enliven two of the most charming squares in Ortigia, piazza Duomo and piazza Minerva, adding glamour and flair to them.
In the summer heat that engulfs Ortigia, amidst the sounds and shouting that echoes through the streets, the young artists of the Feste Archimedee with their performances, shine like bright stars in a clear sky, attracting many curious tourists and faithful audiences from Siracusa.
Children and teenagers perform to an enthusiastic audience. The most talented receive the “Feste Archimedee” Prize, and the contest “Illustrate Your Talent” allows students from Siracusa to introduce themselves and their art to win a spot on the stage dedicated to Archimedes.
Through the years, rising stars like Francesco Cafiso, Lorenzo Licitra, Tecla Insolia have performed here, as well as important names like Antonella Ruggero, Francesco Buzzurro, Mario Venuti, Mauro Ermanno Giovanardi, Daria Biancardi, Mariella Nava, Giulio Scarpati, Arisa, Tullio Solenghi and Massimo Lopez.
In 2016 the Feste Archimedee was included in the high-season tourist attractions of Sicily, and in 2016-2017 they cooperated with the Festival della Crescita, a travelling festival dedicated to the “growing” generations, by hosting one of its events.
March 2021
