Noi e Francesco. L'Amore e la Vita

With "Us and Francesco. Love is life", Manduria celebrates the 800 years since the stigmata of San Francesco and the 550 years since the foundation of the Convent of San Francesco in Manduria, whose cloister is covered with 18th-century mural paintings in need of restoration.

The event is organized by APS Oltre, ETS Daedalus, Maria Rosaria Dinoi, and has obtained the patronage of the Presidency of the Regional Council, the Taranto ETS Volunteering Services Center, and the Municipality of Manduria.

For three days, from Friday, September 20th to Sunday, September 22nd, in the cloister and garden of the Convent of San Francesco, the location of the event, Nikole Saracino and Daniele Andrioli of ETS Daedalus will take care of setting up and animating a medieval camp, with activities such as archery and workshops, including one for making paper in the times of Francesco: entering the cloister will make you travel back in time immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the 13th century, also thanks to medieval tastings by the Franciscan Tertiaries, Antiquae Artis, and partner associations.

Throughout the event, various exhibitions will also be set up: nativity scenes in paper mache and ceramic curated by Professor Gregorio Prudenzano, "Artistic Expressions" curated by painter Silvia Di Natale, medieval clothing and armor curated by Daedalus, and ancient musical instruments curated by Fabio Anti.

The event will open at 7:00 pm on Friday, September 20th, with the evocative atmosphere of "Musica Historica Odor Rosae Musices", a concert directed by Fabio Anti, president of the Musica Historica cultural association that, last August, performed for the rockstar Madonna in Pompeii: the association, founded in 2015, aims to rediscover, enhance, and spread music of all epochs, with a particular focus on ancient music through study and philological research.

This will be followed by the official opening with institutional greetings and a fast conference, conducted by Anna Maria Leccese of Aps-Ets Oltre, with the participation of Father Cosimo Pro, Guardian Friar of the Convent; Francesca Marzano, a restorer who restored the painting "Cenacolo" by Diego Oronzo Bianchi in the convent refectory.

At 9:30 pm, the String Quartet "Messapia", composed of Paolo D'Armento, Chiara Blandamura, Carmine Fanigliulo, and Daniele Lunedì, will perform the concert "Love is Life", offered by the Walter Tommasino Association.

The program for Saturday, September 21st includes, starting at 7:00 pm, a demonstration on training molecular dogs in forensic investigations by ODV ANTA Sava and Francesco Spagnolo, as well as the presentation of the book "The Bee and the Violin" and performances by Tiziano and Angelica Casole of #giullarisenzaradici.

The highlight of the evening will be at 9:00 pm, with the theatrical performance "Francesco a revolutionary Saint", with Simone Curto and Roberto Radeglia and directed by Stefania Buccolieri: voice, images, light, and music will recount important moments of the Saint's life, from shedding worldly possessions to receiving the stigmata.

On Sunday morning, September 22nd, starting at 10:00 am, there will be various activities: theatrical visits to the convent by APS Oltre, workshops and initiatives for the little ones "Medieval Kids" by Daedalus and partner associations, and finally the collective bread-making ritual "The Bread of Francesco" by the Community Bakery Association Up.

In the late afternoon, starting at 7:00 pm, the show "Musica Historica Odor Rosae Musices" directed by Fabio Anti will be back.

The concluding event of the exhibition will be the highly anticipated concert "Medieval Contemporary Live" by the BattiPiano Acoustic Duo, with Aldo Liotino on vocals and percussion, and Gianluca Andriola on the piano, a captivating journey through the words of San Francesco, finding his identity and message in contemporary texts to modernize the Middle Ages and evoke emotions with voice and music. The renowned tenor from Taranto, Aldo Liotino, is currently engaged as a solo tenor in the opera "Divine Comedy" in the form of a concert with a debut at the Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, directed by Monsignor Marco Frisina.

The organization of the event was handled by APS-ETS Oltre, founded in 2017, committed to the dissemination, promotion, and protection of art, and ETS Daedalus, a cultural association founded in 2017 with artisans Nikole and Daniele, who design and create historical events, theatrical performances, educational and cultural workshops, sewing, embroidery, design, costumes, historical craftsmanship, reconstructing entire Greek/Roman, Messapian, and medieval villages.

The Municipal Administration of Manduria, represented by Mayor Dr. Gregorio Pecoraro, and Deputy Mayor/Councilor for Museums and Artistic Heritage, Prof. Andrea Mariggiò, has decided to actively participate in the spirit of the project "Us and Francesco", demonstrating attention to the community's past, but above all to its future, with the intention of contributing to restoring one of the most precious paintings of the cloister to its public use and original beauty.

The event "Us and Francesco. Love is life" was joined by several associations from the local area, not only from Manduria: Aido Manduria, Anta Onlus Sava - Cinotecnica, Walter Tommasino Association, Casa PI, Fieri Potest Pastry Lab, Aracne Cultural Group, Vincentian Volunteer Group - AIC Italy - Manduria ODV, La compagnia del ciambellano, Legambiente, Made in Carcere, Prociv Arci Civil Protection, Proloco Manduria, Civil Protection E.R.A., Sud Est Donne, Unitre, Up APS.

Special thanks for the contribution to: Gregorio Prudenzano, a former lecturer in geometric and architectural disciplines, currently working artistically in a workshop in the historic center of Manduria, creating paintings and sculptures in paper mache and ceramic; Silvia Di Natale, a painter from Manduria who has always had canvases and colors as inseparable companions in life: abstraction allows her to express her joy of living; Stefania Buccolieri, a dancer since childhood, teacher, choreographer of classical dance, and director of numerous shows, with a curriculum filled with successes over the decades. The main partner of "Us and Francesco" is the historic Mandurian company QUEMME S.p.a., which, enthusiastic about the project, decided to support it. Other partner companies include: DLC Auto and Autobody De Gabriele, Spada Constructions, Consorzio Produttori di Manduria, Francesco Dinunzio, Fisiomedicale, Meridional Capsule, Andrisano-Trombacca, Mauro Di Maggio, AssiGagliardi Assicurazioni, Miccoli.