Sculpture does not always receive the consideration it deserves in mainstream media and cultural spaces. From the very beginning, Studi Umbri has been particularly attentive to this essential and many-sided art form. The cover of the new issue is devoted to the Deruta sculptor Luca Leandri, a leading figure in contemporary ceramics. His portrait is drawn by Paolo Bellegrandi. Our own Angela Margaritelli, for her part, recounts the life and art of Mario Pizzoni, likewise an Umbrian and a master of large-scale open-air sculpture. Mara Predicatori’s article “Strangers in the Homeland”, in turn, is devoted to the artist Mario Consiglio.
Still within the artistic sphere, Aldo Peverini recounts an episode of great historical interest: the participation of the students of the Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia in the protests of 1968, in particular during the televised Nastri d’Argento (Silver Ribbons) award ceremony.
Dorica Manconi presents a thorough piece of historical and geographical research on the ancient people of the Umbri, while Alberto Sorbini returns to the subject of the Grand Tour, this time dwelling on one of the lesser-known aspects of those legendary journeys: travellers’ verdicts on Italian cuisine.
Alessandro Menghini, a lecturer in Botany, treats us to an immersion in the flowering of Castelluccio, a triumph of beauty and colour, revealing to us its secrets and its importance.
Finally, the young musician and digital artist Tremila, Gino Venezi by his real name, offers us a compelling reflection on our own times.