July 17th- July 23th

Florence, July 21st - (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - A virtual tour of the gallery of works donated by artists to the Regional Council is possible from today by clicking on President Riccardo Nencini’s web page on the Tuscany Regional Council’s site, http://www.consiglio.regione.toscana.it/presidente/pinacoteca/pinacoteca.asp. The online Picture Gallery offers the possibility to consult the list of all the works and biographies of the artists who have left testimonies of their art in the last six years, from 2000 to today.

Nemi (Rm), July 21st (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - A summer evening dedicated to literature, through a journey to discover that which is little known, near but at the same time far away, to give a new perspective on our region, traditions and curiosities. This is the essence of ''Metti una sera... una storia...un museo...Nove scrittori raccontano'' [An evening... a story...a museum...Nine writers relate], appointment within ''Il senso dei luoghi - estate 2006'' [The meaning of places - summer 2006] which from today will invite nine writers to visit some of the region’s museums to get impressions, anecdotes and memories and then combine them into a brief account.

Rome, July 21st (Adnkronos) - The coffin of master Ugo Attardi will arrive on Capitol Hill at 10:15am tomorrow morning and will stay in the Sala della Protomoteca until 12:30. The remembrance of the artist, entrusted to the words of his son Andrea Attardi and art historian and Dante Alighieri General Secretary Alessandro Masi, will start at midday. Cultural Policies Councilor Gianni Borgna will speak on behalf of the Capitoline administration.

Rome, July 21st - (Adnkronos) - Eighty-three-year-old sculptor Ugo Attardi died at 11:10 last night at Rome’s 'Agostino Gemelli' Polyclinic.

Urbino (PU), July 20th - (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - The “Sale del Castellare” in Urbino’s Palazzo Ducale will host the exhibition 'Strumenti della Musica Antica' [Ancient Musical Instruments]. The exhibition, curated by Paola Pacetti and desired by the Italian Ancient Music Federation and the Urbino City Council on occasion of the 38th edition of the 'Urbino Ancient Music' event, will see rare and unique pieces and musical instruments exhibited from July 21st to 23rd. Around thirty luthiers and artisans from all over Europe have faithfully reconstructed the ancient and unique instruments, inspired by books and research carried out in the most important museums or by turning to collectors.

Roma, July 19th (Adnkronos) – The summer evenings will be dedicated to reading beginning on July 21st in some Lazio communities for a journey discovering what is not well-known. Nine authors, Marco Lodoli, Antonio Pascale, Lorenzo Pavolini, Aurelio Picca, Christian Raimo, Elena Stancanelli, Carola Susani, Emanuele Trevi and Sara Ventroni – have been invited to visit some of the curious museums of the region during July and September to collect suggestions, anecdotes, and memories and then deliver them back in short stories.

Lecce, July 19th (Adnkronos) – The 6th edition of Salento Negroamaro, a exhibition of migrant cultures in the Province of Lecce dedicated this year to Africa, continues its journey through African music, cinema and art. The music section, directed by Lokua Kanza, is presenting the Nigerian Femi Kuti on Friday July 21st at Piazza San Pietro di Galatina and the young Fifito from Guinea Bissau on Saturday, July 29th in Santa Maria di Leuca. On Sunday July 30th there will be a performance by the Ivory Coast singer Dobet Gnaore's in Piazza Carlo Alberto di Diso. The concerts are all free of cost and will begin at 9:30 pm.

Florence, July 19th (Adnkronos) – In the night between August 2nd and 3rd, a drunken man climbed up on the Biancone statue and hanging on its hand, broke it, causing serious damage to this work of art. The damage has been repaired by the technicians of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure coordinated by the Culture Councillorship of the City of Florence, the Fine Arts Office of the UNESCO World Heritage Historic Centre and the contribution of 23 sponsors thanks to a dinner organized by the Carnival Gran Gala’ Promotion Committee which on February 27th allowed the collection of the funds needed to restore the masterpiece.

Senigallia (An), July 19th (Adnkronos) – An exhibit of sacred furnishings and paraments titled “Vere dignus es – Dignity and Beauty in Liturgy”, will be inaugurated this evening, Wednesday July 19th at the Church of the Cross of Senigallia during the scheduled concert in the ambit of the program “The Wednesdays of the Cross”. This is a musical event organized by the City of Senigallia and the Holy Sacrament Confraternity in collaboration with the Italian Santa Cecilia Association of Rome and the “J.S. Bach” Friends of the Organ Association of Modena.

Chieti, July 19th (Adnkronos) – Six decades of Italian abstract art narrated through 57 works of art by the most important Italian 20th century artists such as Boccioni, Dorazio, Caporossi, Burri, Biasi, Trampolini, Veronesi, Soldati, Munari, Severini and many others. All this is “Italian Abstract Art 1910-1970 – The Crystal flame from Giacomo Balla to Lucio Fontana and ........”, an exhibit coordinated by Gabriele Simongini, scheduled until October 15th 2006 at the National Archaeological Museum of Chieti.

Arezzo, July 19th (Adnkronos) – The president of the Province of Arezzo Vincenzo Ceccarelli, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Pietro Faralli, the general manager of the Banca Etruria, Alfredo Berni, the superintendent Giangiacomo Martines and the mayors of the three Piero della Francesca townships today signed a MoU and agreed to mobilize economic and organizational forces for the realization of an exhibit dedicated to Piero della Francesca.

Volterra (Pi), July 19th (Adnkronos) – Over 200 items, some on exhibit for the first time such as the “Guaita di Travale” a parchment dated 1158 containing the most ancient proof of the Italian language, are a part of the “Volterra Gold and Stone – Art and City in the Middle Ages” exhibit. The exhibit is opening its doors tomorrow afternoon and can be visited until November 1st. A pectoral engraved wooden cross dated 9th century and the “Bibbia di Calci” by Adalberto da Volterra dated 1168, are among the most ancient pieces set up in the Council Room of Palazzo dei Priori and the Civic Painting Gallery.

Rome, July 18th - (Adnkronos) - Great African explorer Pietro Savorgnan di Brazza' (Rome, 1852 - Dakar, 1905) will be the star of the exhibition set up from September 10th to October 4th at Rome’s Music Park Auditorium. The tribute arrives precisely on occasion of the 50th anniversary of the twinning between Rome and Paris. The underlying theme of the exhibition journey will be the message left by Brazza', a message of non-violence and dialogue as the bridge between cultures.

Turin, July 18th - (Adnkronos) - The exhibition entitled ''Scultura Internazionale ad Aglie', 2006. Opere contemporanee nell'architettura del Castello e del Parco'' [International Sculpture in Aglie', 2006. Contemporary works in the architecture of the Castle and Park], curated by Luciano Caramel, will take place until October 15th in the setting of Aglie' castle, ancient Savoy residence situated on the Canavese hills, at the entrance to Turin. The exhibition, conceived in relation to the architecture of the castle and park, is promoted by the Piedmont Region and organized by the Piemontese Art Association, in collaboration with the Piedmont Superintendency for Architectural Heritage and Landscape.

Mercogliano (Av), July 18th (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - ''Castellarte - International Street Artists’ Festival'' starts in Mercogliano. Musicians, comedians, acrobats and storytellers from all over the world will crowd, together with the public, into the Campania town’s medieval district of Capocastello. ''Baraonda'' [Mayhem] is the title of this edition, which will be unleashed from July 28th to 30th at the gates of Avellino; the thirteenth year for one of the art exhibitions that is now considered one of the Campania region’s most awaited appointments.

Rome, July 18th - (Adnkronos) - The presentation of Oro di Roma’s 2006 catalogue will take place at 8.30pm tomorrow on the terraces of Hotel Exedra. In addition to Confesercenti’s Secretary and President Valter Giammaria and Alberta Parissi, the presentation will also include the participation of Rome Deputy Mayor Mariapia Garavaglia and Rome Commerce Councillor Gaetano Rizzo, regional councillors De Angelis and Valentini and provincial councillors Bruno Manzi and Patrizia Ninci. There will also be talks by Italy China Foundation President Cesare Romiti and Arsial Special Commissioner Fabio Massimo Pallottini.

Pietrarubbia (Pu), July 18th (Adnkronos) - ''Ecce homo'', the one-man exhibition of former student Alberto Mariani, and ''Metalli in… mostra'' [Metals on… show], a collective exhibition of jewelry and sculptures by young artists from the Tam center, the school of Arnaldo Pomodoro, are the stars of the exhibition event set up for the end of summer 2006 and the first weeks of autumn in Pietrarubbia. It is the new element of ''Segnali d'arte'' [Art signals], the exhibition of the SPAC, Contemporary Art System of the Province of Pesaro-Urbino, which fills with the territory’s museums and galleries with visual emotion.

Pesaro, July 18th - (Adnkronos) - An agreement between the Pesaro City Council and Confindustria Pesaro Urbino was undersigned this morning, in the Pesaro city council room, for the use of works from the Civic Museums. The agreement establishes that the works conceded will be used to create an exhibition journey inside Palazzo Ciacchi, historical building of the city that accommodates the seat of the Pesaro association.

Fabriano (An), July 18th (Adnkronos) - Another week to admire the masterpieces of the ''Gentile da Fabriano e l'altro Rinascimento'' [Gentile da Fabriano and the other Renaissance] exhibition, in progress in Fabriano until Sunday July 23rd. 77,263 people have crossed the rooms of the ancient Hospital of Santa Maria del Buon Gesu' from April 21st (opening day) to Sunday July 16th, with a daily average of around 900 admissions.

Rome, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - ''Cardinal Angelo Scola’s stern warning is very important. The centralist and state-controlled Italian education model that Minister Fioroni is recreating must be overcome in the direction of a new subsidiarity''. Alternativa Studentesca (AS), the student association that sits on the Ministry of Education’s National Forum of Associations, in this way sided with the cardinal, whose declarations sparked a burning debate on public education.

Turin, July 17th - (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - Giuseppe Giacosa, Primo Levi, Lalla Romano and Mario Soldati, all linked to the image of the city of Turin, whose transformations they outlined over the course of time, by dwelling on symbolic places, daily life and the way of experiencing the city in particular moments, like war or routine, which always reveals numerous surprises.

The works of the four Turinese authors, whose anniversaries are being celebrated, are the source of inspiration for some short works, of around five minutes, commissioned by the Book Capital and which will be on continuously in the rooms of the Atrium: William Farnesi will propose a chapter of the broader project ''Lalla Romano: l'inverno in me'' [Lalla Romano: the winter in me], with the collaboration of Antonio Ria, who investigates the author’s connection with French culture, starting from her brainwave for Flaubert and Delacroix, whose diary the writer edited the Italian edition of. This will take place from 10am to 7pm tomorrow in the Turin Atrium.

Turin, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - Pedestrians can once again negotiate the grass, rows of trees, bastion, columns and most of all the Palatine Gates, with their stretch of Roman road, like when Turin was called Augusta Taurinorum. The archeological area of Turin’s Palatine Gates was inaugurated this morning, in the presence of city councillors Maria Grazia Sestero (Transport) and Fiorenzo Alfieri (Culture), after 18 months of work.

Modena, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - At 9am tomorrow morning, in the Great Hall of Modena University’s Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, twenty-six year old Frenchwoman Stephanie Buret, will become the first foreign female student to have duly completed the specialist second-level degree course predicted by the 2000 reform of the educational system.

Naples, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - The premises situated under the portico of Piazza Plebiscito’s Church of Sts. John and Paul, were handed over today to the historical bookshop Treves by the Naples City Council.

Rome, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - ''And so big baby Fioroni, ignorant as he is about theology and the social doctrine of the Church, starts arguing with Cardinal Scola. Impudence truly has no limit! Franco Marini, given that he is your protégé why don’t you rap his knuckles?'' Francesco Cossiga, President Emeritus of the Republic, intervened in this way in the education debate sparked by the words of Venice Patriarch Angelo Scola, and to which Education Minister Peppe Fioroni objected.

Naples, July 17th (Adnkronos) - Fifty thousand guides to Campania’s degree courses have been realized by the Region’s Department for University. The guides will be distributed with the city’s newspapers. The project, implemented in agreement with the Regional University Committee, involves the degree courses of Campania’s seven universities: “Federico II” University of Studies in Naples, Second University of Studies in Naples, “L’Orientale” University of Studies in Naples, “Parthenope” University of Studies in Naples, Salerno University of Studies, Sannio University of Studies and the “Suor Orsola Benincasa” University.

Rome, July 17th (Adnkronos/Adnkronos Cultura) - Cultural Heritage Undersecretary Elena Montecchi will meet, on July 19th at the ministry, the representatives of the main Italian record and music associations signing the platform containing the ten preliminary points for the launch of a Music Law and for the relaunch of the sector, circulated on June 21st on occasion of European Music Day. Those taking part in the meeting will include the spokespeople for AudioCoop, Assomusica, Assoartisti, Arci, Fimi, Pmi and Superclub to represent the sector’s production line.

Perugia, July 17th - (Adnkronos) - The Umbria Regional Council has approved the annual 2006 program that activates resources equal to more than €983,000 for the implementation of the right to study in compulsory education and to ensure the continuation of studies or the frequency of educational courses for students without means, adults, the disabled and marginal or disadvantaged students.