Artists in the Cinque Terre
A journey through art, memory, and landscape
The Cinque Terre are not just a place — they are an echo of stories whispered by the cliffs, a reflection of colors mirrored in the sea, and an intricate weave of memory, art, and human effort.
Over the years, this unique stretch of the Ligurian coast has inspired painters, poets, and visionaries. Artists in the Cinque Terre is not just a title, but a collective story of gazes that captured the authentic beauty of these timeless villages.
From Telemaco Signorini to the masters of the 20th century
The first to reveal the soul of this landscape was Telemaco Signorini in 1860. Facing Riomaggiore, he described a place “secluded and closed in time,” capable of preserving its essence against the tide of progress.
Later, Renato Birolli translated the vertical harshness of the vineyards and the power of the sea into a new visual language — abstract yet deeply rooted in the territory. His works reflect the poetry and strength of a land shaped by human hands and wind.
The “Festa ai Pittori”: when art met life
After World War II, Dario Capellini created the “Festa ai Pittori” — the “Festival of Painters.” It brought artists to Vernazza and Monterosso, inviting them to paint, breathe, and blend with local life.
Among the guests were Michelangelo Pistoletto and Alighiero Boetti, two iconic figures of the Arte Povera movement. Thanks to them, the Cinque Terre became a space of creative exchange, where contemporary art and tradition met in perfect harmony.
Eugenio Montale and the poetry of the sea
No story of the Cinque Terre would be complete without Eugenio Montale, the poet who found in Monterosso his inner harbor. In his villa in Fegina, he wrote verses that still resonate today — about displacement, beauty, and solitude.
In 2025, Italy celebrates the 100th anniversary of “Ossi di seppia” and the 50th anniversary of Montale’s Nobel Prize in Literature — a perfect occasion to rediscover the poetic roots of this land.
A book that preserves cultural memory
The book “Artists in the Cinque Terre” (published by Laterza), written by Emanuela Cavallo and Marco Ferrari, was born with one purpose: to document and preserve the cultural memory of these places before postcards replace reality.
It is a timeless book — one that will endure when websites disappear and social media images fade. A lasting testimony that captures the depth, complexity, and artistic legacy of the Cinque Terre.
📖 Artists in the Cinque Terre is available in bookstores — an invitation to look beyond the postcard image and rediscover the soul of a land where art, nature, and memory intertwine.
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